


Little Ponies Lost

by Al1701



Category: My Little Pony, My Little Pony (Cartoon 1984)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-02-16 01:10:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 117,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13043400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Al1701/pseuds/Al1701
Summary: Wind Whistler and other ponies from across Equestria find themselves far from the land of ponies.  They are on Tellus, an alien world with an alien sky, alien peoples, and alien magic.  The question is not just if they will ever make it home, but can they survive against the most hostile and dangerous race ponykind has ever encountered?





	1. "Where Am I?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wind Whistler and other ponies from across Equestria awaken in a mysterious castle.

          Nothingness!  For what was only the most miniscule fraction of a second to the rest of existence—but an eternity to Wind Whistler—she felt the sensation of no sensation.  She was nothing but consciousness.  No sense of physical presence, not even anything telling her she existed.  Perhaps this was the sensation of death, to be separate from your hold on the physical world.

          Then her senses started to return slowly.  Her vestibular sense was first, telling her the location of parts of her body in relation to each other.  Her four legs ended in hooves that were all parallel as the legs themselves crossed over.  She must be laying on something.  Her sense of pressure confirmed it as one side was against something flat and firm; and gravity was pulling her towards that side.  It was cool, smooth, and hard as well: a floor.  There was also that irritating feeling of her wing having fallen asleep under her.  Along with the slightest pressure on her head from the metal of the headband she wore, something seemed to be tied around the dock of her tail.

          Some smaller muscles answered her.  She pivoted her ears, but heard nothing.  There was no smell of note entering her nostrils either.  She could hear her heart slowly beating, confirming she was in fact alive.  Why she felt like she had ceased to physically exist and was coming back slowly like this still escaped her.

          Opening her eyelids was forcing open lead doors on rusty hinges as they fought every millimeter.  Her eyes were out of focus, everything was just blurry masses of light and color.  It took a second or so for things to come into focus.  The masses of color gained definition as ponies lying on a tile floor like her.

          She finally had enough control to roll over on her belly to bring her legs under her.  Thousands of tiny, sharp needles jabbed into her wing repeated as blood and feeling returned to it.  She flexed it a few times to quicken the process.  A pink haze also covered much of her left field of vision as her forelock took its usual place partially covering her left eye.  She craned her neck to the right to look back at her tail.  What she was feeling was a white ribbon tied in a large, perfectly even bow around its dock.  She was not sure how that got there or how she got here for that matter.

          She got her hooves squarely under her and stood up.  That turned out to be a mistake as her head emptied.  The edges of her vision darkened and the ground was tipping under her.  She threw her legs out to brace herself before she toppled over.  She waited for the flow of blood to return to her head and feel confident enough in her sense of balance before she brought them back under her.

          She took in her surroundings, taking note of every detail.  It was a large ballroom with a massive, crystal chandelier arranged like an inverted layer cake hanging down from the pinnacle of its domed ceiling high above her.  It cast yellowish-white light throughout the room.  Marble columns as thick as mature oaks supported the ceiling, and there was a large pool filled with water in the middle of the floor.  A red carpet led from a platform with an oddly-shaped, upholstered chair on it around the pool and up a grand staircase to a balcony.

          Wind Whistler tried to think of how she got here.  However, trying to remember what she was doing at the exact moment she lost consciousness was like trying to remember what she was doing just before falling asleep.  It was a blur with no definite cutoff.  She might have returned from lunch, but she was not sure.  Though, she knew she was not here—wherever here was.

          Canterlot?  Canterlot’s palace was known for its grand ballrooms.  However, those ballrooms had huge windows, and there was not a window to be seen here.  The decorations and details were also too ornate for the ballroom of a hotel, even in larger cities like Manehattan.

          There were also the other ponies who were still unconscious on the floor.  She made a quick count, coming to thirty-one including her.  Twelve were earth ponies, ten were unicorns with fluted horns protruding her their foreheads and streaks of different colored hair running through their manes and tails, and the remaining nine were pegasi like her with wings covered in rich plumage of feathers.  They were all mares, most around her age, the one exception being one of the white unicorns with a streak of silvery-white in her otherwise light blue mane and tail appearing to be much older.  They all had a ribbon tied around their tail like the one around Wind Whistler’s but different colors.  One of the earth ponies—white with her dark pink mane tied in a bun—wore the blue dress, white apron, and cap of a nurse.  A yellow pegasus with her mane—streaked red, yellow, green, cyan, blue and magenta—also tied in a tight bun was dressed in a white leotard, tutu, ballet slippers, and crown.  Some of the others had accessories in their manes like more ribbons, sunglasses, hairpins, and fake flowers.  They were all strangers, ponies Wind Whistler had never seen before.

          She was going to have to take note of their coat and mane colors as well as the various accessories they wore until she got their names down.  Something told her they were going to be together for quite a while until they figured this out.

          Some began to stir, groaning softly and twitching pasterns.  They rolled over and some stood up quickly only to stagger as they suffered from similar vertigo Wind Whistler had.  Others were more cautious in standing.  One by one, the ponies rose to their hooves and looked around in bewilderment.

          “Where am I?” the nurse asked in a pronounced but refined Mustangian drawl.

          That question and others were echoed throughout the ballroom.  Ponies asked who each other were, some fretted about appointments they were going to miss because of this, and more than a few panicked about how they were going to be fired for missing work.

          “Everyone, please remain calm,” Wind Whistler said loudly over the din.

          The conversations stopped and several ponies looked to her.  Wind Whistler felt the hairs on her back stand on end as she realized how much attention she had just garnered.  “I mean, we will accomplish nothing if we succumb to blind panic.”

          “The young pegasus is right.”  The older unicorn leapt onto the platform, tossing back her mane.  She was indeed much older than the young mares making up the rest of the group.  She was not to the point where age had emaciated her body; rather the creases at the corners of her eyes and mouth gave her a distinguished air.  “We need to keep our heads about us.”  She grinned.  “We kind of need them.”

          “But where are we?” the nurse asked again.  “I was just heading back to the hospital.”  She scratched at the back of her head.  “At least I think I was.  I might have still been on lunch.”

          “I was preparing for a rehearsal,” the ballerina added.  “I’m not sure how I got here either.”

          “I can tell you exactly what happened.”  A white pegasus with a curly mess of orange hair for a mane straightened the green, cat’s eye glasses perched on her nose and smirked.  “We’ve been abducted by aliens?”

          Several ponies gasped.

          A medium blue earth pony with yellow ribbons in the sides of her long, curly, dark pink mane and white freckles on her cheeks stepped forward.  “Don’t be absurd.”

          The pegasus gave her quick glance but turned away.  “I’ve read all about it in sci-fi magazines.  This isn’t really a ballroom.  We’re on the mothership of little green ponies—”

          “Hey!” the lone green pegasus interrupted.

          “—little green ponies from another world,” the white pegasus continued.

          She turned to a group, including the nurse, huddled together.  She crept towards them.  “They brought us on board”—she lowered herself into the stance of a spider creeping across a wall—“so”—another step made the ponies huddle closer together—“they—can—subject us—to their horrific EXPERIMENTS!”  She reared up and kicked her front hooves over the group who cowered and whimpered in her shadow.

          “Knock it off! There’s no such thing as aliens!”  The blue earth pony stamped her hoof as if it would give more emphasis to her statement.  “Sci-fi stands for science fiction.  As in not real.”

          The white pegasus sauntered up to the blue earth pony, fixing her eyes on her from under half closed lids.  “Then how do you explain us being here?”

          “While I believe there is extraterrestrial life somewhere out there,” Wind Whistler interjected, “I highly doubt they are culpable for our current predicament.”

          The two ponies turned to her.  “Thank you!” they shouted at said at once.

          “Why don’t we actually go outside and see where we are?” the ballerina suggested.

          “That sounds like a great idea.”  The blue earth pony turned away from the white pegasus.

          Everyone filed up the grand staircase to the balcony.  Wind Whistler took her usual position in a crowd: its fringe.

          “Good to know someone else believes”—the white pegasus walked beside Wind Whistler—“in aliens at least.”  Wind Whistler noted that her eyeglasses had straight arms to rest gently against the sides of her head and were connected by a pearl chain.

          “I figure it is a matter of simple statistics,” Wind Whistler replied.  “Given the sheer number of stars out there, at least some have to illuminate worlds capable of supporting life.”

          The pegasus frowned, apparently expecting a more definitive answer than Wind Whistler was able to provide.  “I’ll take it.  I’m Paradise.”

          “Wind Whistler,” Wind Whistler replied as they started ascending the stairs.  “A reader of speculative fiction?”

          “A reader of everything,” Paradise answered.  “Sci-fi, fantasy, romance.”  She heaved a sigh.  “Real life can be so boring I wish I could live all the stories I read.”

          “So, being abducted and experimented on by alien ponies is a case of wish fulfillment?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Paradise grinned sheepishly.  “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”  The grin broadened, and she raised her posture.  “Of course; we make our daring escape, arm ourselves with their advanced weapons, and fight our way to the hangar to steal a shuttle”—she glided her front hoof in front of her—“escaping just before the whole thing goes up like a Summer Sun fireworks display.”

          Wind Whistler allowed herself a grin.  “Why stop at alien ponies then?  Why not go for broke and make our space-travelling captors giant robots that can transform into vehicles while we’re at it?”

          Paradise chuckled.  “Let’s not be silly.”

          They came to the top of the stairs and onto the balcony, and Wind Whistler looked to either side.  To the left was a dead end, but to the right was a pair of large doors made of stained and ornately carved oak.  The ponies gathered around it.

          “So…who wants to open it?” a pony whimpered.

          “I’ll do it.”  A pink pegasus with a short, electric blue mane pushed her way to the front.  She hooked her pastern on the elongated handle and pushed down.  The door popped open slightly, and she pushed it open with a loud creak enough to crane her head out.  “In Celestia’s name!” she shouted.

          Several gasps came from the crowd.

          “What is it?” a vibrant pink earth pony with light blue sunglasses—like those of her symbol—sitting in her curly, equally vibrant yellow mane yelped.

          The pegasus pulled her head back in with a lopsided grin on her face.  “It’s a hallway.”

          Exasperated groans came from the other ponies.  The two doors were pushed open for everyone to make their way out.  A white unicorn glared at the pink pegasus as she approached.  With so many unicorns of that color, Wind Whistler noted she had a bright red streak running through her otherwise dark green mane and tail and a purple, maple leaf barrette—also matching her symbol—held her short mane back on one side.  In one fluid motion she smacked the pink pegasus upside the head as she walked by and glared her down before turning and walking away.

          “Yow!” the pink pegasus yelped and rubbed the back of her head.  “What was that for?”

          The mint green pegasus with a long, curly, green mane and a black choker holding an amber jewel around her neck stopped next to her.  “That joke was uncalled for,” she said in her soft voice.

          Beyond the door was a hallway extending straight out.  The tall ceiling was peaked with chandeliers hanging down from its central beam and sconces on every column set in the walls.  Both the chandeliers and sconces appeared to have glowing crystals where light bulbs or candles would be.  A number of doors were also set into the walls.

          Wind Whistler hooked her pastern on the handle of the nearest door to her left.  The door popped out slightly so she could pull it open and look in.  The room beyond had walls of books on shelves.  Several chairs and sofas were arranged around a fireplace, and a desk was off to one side.  “I think I found a study.”

          There was a large, tan globe in a wooden frame.  The landmass facing her seemed wrong for Equestria, even more wrong than the antiquated maps and globes of before reliable geography had been established.  It did not go nearly far enough north and much too far south.  It was also too big in general and there was no sign of the nearby landmasses of any significance around it.  The labeling was also strange, the letters being collections of straight lines instead of the curving and looping glyphs of the Equestrian alphabet or even Old Ponish.  She took a step towards the globe.  Perhaps she was just facing the wrong side.  She took another step, but she felt a gentle yet definite yank on her tail.

          A yellow pegasus with a curly, yellow mane had her tail in her mouth.  She spat it out.  “We can check things out later.  We’re looking for a way out.”

          “Oh, right.”  Wind Whistler turned back to the door.  She stopped to glance at the odd globe before following the yellow pony out.

          “This is a sitting room,” a particularly tall and slender, white unicorn with a bright blue streak in her dark purple mane said from a door further down the hall.

          A pink pegasus with a curly, dark pink mane and a pearl necklace around her neck walked out of an alcove between Wind Whistler and the unicorn.  She had her face scrunched up with disgust.  “Of course _I_ would find the lavatories,” she said in an overly dramatic tone.  “Granted, they’re in impeccable condition, albeit looking clumsy to use, but still.”

          A pinkish-purple earth pony with a curly, pale pink mane stepped out of a double doorway in the opposite wall.  “This is a dining hall.”

          A white earth pony with a curly, aqua mane stepped out of a doorway further down.  “I found a scullery with a door into a kitchen.  It’s positively huge with everything you could want,” she swooned as she leaned against the doorway.

          “This is great and all, but how do we get out of here?” the pinkish-purple pony asked.

          “Head down the hall, of course, my little pony,” the old unicorn said as she trotted past.

          The hall ended at a “T” intersection with another.  It was the same with more doors in its walls and doors at the ends.  Wind Whistler was more aware of her internal compass and could sense the magnetic flow from south to north.  This first hallway went from the ballroom at its north end south to this intersection.  That meant left was east and right was west.

          “Which way?” a pony asked.

          A yellow earth pony with a pink, star-shaped hairpin in her green mane stepped to the head of the crowd.  “Let’s split up and check both ends.  I’ll lead the group going left.”

          Wind Whistler decided to join her.  Paradise was right behind her, but stopped to open a door.  Wind Whistler stopped when she heard Paradise gasp.  “What is it?”

          Wind Whistler looked inside and saw the doorway led into a huge, two-story library with shelves crammed full of books.  Desks with lamps were arranged neatly in one area and sofas around tables were in another.  A balcony went around the perimeter with a number of spiral staircases connecting it to the ground level.  Heavy drapes covered the large windows, but bright light was making it through narrow gaps between them.

          “I’ve died and gone to heaven,” Paradise swooned.

          Wind Whistler instinctively felt her chest to confirm her heart was still beating.  “Please utilize more caution when conveying metaphors considering the present conundrum before us.”

          Paradise looked to Wind Whistler with a furrowed brow.  “Did you eat a thesaurus for breakfast?”

          “Sorry,” Wind Whistler apologized.  “I have accumulated an extensive vocabulary, and it can get away from me sometimes.”

          Paradise shrugged.  “Okay.”  She turned back to the library and looked on longingly.  “Look at all these books.  Imagine all the stories in them.”

          “Imagine all the information they hold,” Wind Whistler added.

          A door further down opened and the white unicorn with the red and green mane stuck her head in.  “Anytime you two want to join us.”

          “Oh!  Right!”  Paradise backed out of the doorway.

          Opposite to the library was a large but empty ward room.  Hangars clung to metal bars waiting to support clothing.  Though, their shape would seem to support clothing structured vertically rather than laterally like most Equestrian clothing.

          At the end of the hall was a pair of large doors much like the ones leading out of the ballroom.  There were also doors in either wall designed to blend into them.  They led into plain-looking hallways lit by very simple light fixtures in the square ceilings.

          Two ponies pushed open the main doors and they all stepped into a foyer.  Stairs led up to a balcony and another set of doors above them.  There were some tables and sofas off to the sides, and light poured in through tall, narrow, stained glass windows on either side of an even larger set of doors.

          “I think we’ve found the way out,” Paradise said.

          “Then let us go forth,” A pink pegasus with a light purple mane said in a thick Trottingham accent.

          She pivoted down the handle and pushed the door open.  The widening gap was to a blast furnace as hot, humid air rushed in from outside along with glaring sunlight.  Wind Whistler had to squint to give her eyes a chance to adjust to the blinding light and stinging heat.  She could also swear there was a slight scent of salt to the air.

          Outside was a courtyard.  A flagstone path led from the stoop the doors opened out onto to an opening in a tall wall made of pink stone.  To either side were what had to have been a lawn once but were now wild with yellowish-green grasses and wild flowers.  The opening was blocked by a blue wall of boards with a pair winches to the sides.

          Wind Whistler stepped out and immediately felt the sunlight beating down on her.  Even her light blue coat and pale pink mane heated up under the brilliant light.  She tried to look up at the hazy sky, but it hurt her eyes even when not looking near the sun.  The milky sky spread to the glare in all directions.

          The courtyard was trapezoid-shaped.  The castle made the short parallel side, and the perimeter wall made the long side.  The two other sides were the long buildings that lead from the corners of the castle to cylindrical towers with conical, blue, slate roofs on the perimeter wall.  They had three stories of evenly spaced windows and a large, box extension in the center with banks of windows set a little higher.

          The lawns had a few patches of milkweed, an isolated great mullein here and there where they were well removed from the larger plants, and a few aspen saplings had made the overgrown grounds their home.  Some artificial features also came out of the ground along either edge of the walkway.  They were metal painted midnight blue with a cone-shaped top and had a narrow opening under it.  They looked almost like modern chimneys or oven vents on a building, only coming out of the ground.  Wind Whistler passed them off as strange art for the moment but compartmentalized their presence.  Perhaps they would make sense in the future.

          She looked to the perimeter wall which had battlements at its top.  She spread her wings and leapt into the air to fly to the top.  The wall had a walkway, and she landed after what was only a short flutter.  She gazed out and could only gasp.

          Beyond the wall was a huge valley: specifically a fjord.  Steep cliffs rose up to either side with the inlet stretching towards the hazy horizon and quickly pinching off in front of the castle.  That explained the smell of salt to the air.

          The walls reduced in steepness just above the water, especially on the north side of the inlet with lush, green meadows speckled by colorful wild flowers and clusters of trees stopping only at the water’s edge.  The trees were mixtures of various conifers as well as deciduous trees, and she recognized some more orderly patches were cherry and apple.

          A waterfall cascaded down a nearby cliff into a large pond that fed a wide stream.  The stream passed in front of the wall—that blue wall being a drawbridge that would span the stream when lowered—and joined a more substantial river coming from the opposite direction to spill over a small waterfall into the start of the inlet.

          Wind Whistler turned back to the structure they had emerged from.  It was a large castle with towers at all of the corners of the square perimeter wall.  The wall enclosed an area of at least a hectare.  She flew up for a better view, seeing two more identical long buildings connecting the two back towers to the keep like the front ones.  The north trapezoid was also mostly taken up by a square extension attached to the keep at one side and the perimeter wall at the other.  It had a dome roof, and given the relative position of what they traveled through, Wind Whistler figured it was the ballroom they first woke up in.

          The keep was several stories tall with the foyer protruding out slightly and large windows above where the long buildings connected.  The highest story had a balcony with doors and windows leading into what were no doubt the royal bedchambers.  The top of the keep was a steeply sloped roof cover in blue slate shingles, and the long buildings also had roofs with steep slopes likely to reduce snow accumulation.

          Behind the castle, the valley continued up and curved to the right.  The river ran through the broad valley floor of more meadows and clusters of trees on rolling hills until it disappeared behind the ridge.  This again suggested a glacial origin.  She could picture the mammoth ice sheet turning to follow the path of least resistance as it carved out this valley untold millennia ago.  The slight ridge the castle sat on and the fact the valley widened further up suggested a second glacial advanced reached this point before being stymied and retreating.  It was a geologist’s dream, but gave her no further clues as to where they were.

          “This is gorgeous.”  A voice brought Wind Whistler back to the present.  It was the yellow pegasus with the yellow mane.  She furrowed her brow.  “But I’ve never heard of a castle in the middle of nowhere like this.  Well, aside from the Castle of the Two Sisters.”

          It could not be that castle.  The Castle of the Two Sisters was still a ruin in the middle of the Everfree Forest of central Equestria which this was not.  The lightest smell of salt from the inlet suggested the coast.  However, the valley seemed untouched except for this one castle.  They had also not run across another soul—pony or otherwise—since they awoke.  Yet, the castle was well maintained.

          A low rumble caught Wind Whistler’s attention.  She looked west and saw a massive wall of dark gray emerging over the mountains.  It was clouds, but more massive than any she had ever seen and moving quickly towards them.  It towered kilometers in the air and extended past her ability to see either direction.  Another, louder rumble came from it.

          “I don’t like the look of that,” the pegasus said.

          “Neither do I,” Wind Whistler replied.  “I suggest we seek shelter immediately.”

          The cloud passed over the mountains and Wind Whistler could see the rain shafts draping over the western border of the valley.  That was all she needed to see.  She spiraled down to the courtyard and the other ponies standing there.

          “What’s going on?” the yellow earth pony asked.

          “A storm is approaching,” Wind Whistler said.  “Everyone needs to head inside right now!”

          The earth pony turned to the others.  “You heard her, inside!”

          The ponies ran back inside the castle.  The high clouds thickened and Wind Whistler could watch them moving quickly from west to east.

          This storm was strange, its size, its speed, nothing like the rainstorms Cloudsdale put out.  She would know as she tracked them for a living.  She considered the amount of work it would take to assemble such a storm—a team of a hundred would take days to put such a monster together—and how many wind machines would be needed to move such a mass at the speed of this system.  That was not even considering the resources of water and lightning going into it.  Surely she would have been informed of such monumental expenditures going to such a remote location.

          There was a flash followed a few seconds later by a loud crack into a rumble that resonated in Wind Whistler’s chest.  Despite its unbelievable scale and velocity, the storm system was undeniably real. 

          “Are you going to follow your own advice?” the yellow earth pony asked from the door.

          Wind Whistler ran up the stoop and inside.  The earth pony pulled the door closed.  A heavy click signified the door was closed, and Wind Whistler allowed her muscles to unwind.  The light from the windows faded away until light from the chandelier in the ceiling reflected off their textured surfaces.

          Another flash came from outside followed by loud thunder.  There was also the sound of wind whistling and moaning around the castle.  Everyone was silent with their ears straight up.  This all had the feelings of being in a cage with a predator lurking outside.  There was a sense they were safe for now, but were also trapped.

          Finally, the first sounds of rain hitting the roof came.  It was gentle patter for maybe a split second before it became a thunderous bombardment like a herd of buffalo were stampeding across the roof.  More flashes and thunder came from outside.

          Then came a sound completely unexpected.  It was a dull thud as if something solid had hit the roof.  Everyone flinched at it.

          “What was that?!” the earth pony with the sunglasses shrieked.

          More sounds like it joined in with the rain.  Wind Whistler tried to look outside, but it was too dark and the stained glass was not exactly designed for viewing the outside.

          The pegasus with the Trottingham accent hooked her pastern on the door.  “No!” the yellow earth pony shouted, but it was too late.  The pegasus pushed down the handle, and the door flew open.

          The air that rushed in was not as hot as before, but still warm as well as soggy.  Outside, it was as twilight dim and the grass and weeds whipped in the wind.  The aspen saplings swayed, their leaves quivering as the hung on for dear life.  The sheets of rain were practically sideways along with chunks of something white plummeting through them.

          The chunks bounced off the ground as they hit and many that struck the walkway shattered.  Most were two or three centimeters across, but some were four or even five centimeters in diameter.  Thunder roared, its full volume rattling the chandelier and booming in Wind Whistler's ears.

          “Well, since it’s open anyway, we might as well grab one to see,” the yellow earth pony shouted over the deafening storm.

          “A larger specimen that has been broken would be ideal to examine its interior structure and composition,” Wind Whistler added.

          A purple unicorn with a red streak in her white hair summoned a purple aura around her horn.  A similar aura surrounded the fragment of a larger chunk and levitated it inside.  Once it was inside, three ponies grabbed the door and strained to get it closed.  Everyone relaxed once they heard the click.

          The unicorn held the fragment to her nose and quickly pulled it back.  “It’s ice!”

          “Ice?” the yellow earth pony asked.  “It was just a million centagrades out there.  How could there be ice?”

          “I bet some punk on the local weather team did it as a joke,” the white unicorn with the red and dark green mane grumbled.  Wind Whistler found her choice of words ironic since she was the very image of a ‘punk’.

          Wind Whistler examined the fragment hanging in the air.  The exterior was a section of a rough sphere covered in bumps.  It had roughly concentric circles to it.  They were layers suggesting several stages of water accumulating and freezing went into its formation all while suspended to get its nearly regular shape.  It would be an awfully involved process for a simple joke, especially with so many out there.

          “A strange castle in the middle of nowhere.  Ice falling out of summer thunderstorms.”  A boom of thunder sent the earth pony with the sunglasses backing into a space under the stairs.  “Where are we?”

* * *

          Sparkler strolled through one of the hallways, admiring the glowing crystals.  She had seen and collected many lovely gems of different colors, shapes, sizes, and even unusual properties—but none that could be used like a light source like these.  They could go for a handsome price in Canterlot or Manehattan, after she added the best specimens to her private collection of course.

          She rounded a corner onto an odd spur to the sight of a white pegasus with a curly, vibrant yellow mane hanging off one of the sconces and appearing to yank on it.  She threw her entire weight back with her pasterns wrapped tightly around the fixture and her hind hooves braced on the walls.  Sparkler was going to leave the strange pony alone—not wanting to get involved with whatever strange thoughts were compelling her to do this.  However, when she realized she could damage the crystals in the sconce, she had to intervene for their sake.

          “We haven’t been in this castle for an hour, and you’re already trying to break it?”

          The pegasus stopped and looked at her with an expression that was probably meant to be stern but came off as more pouty and fitting a filly rather than a full-grown mare.  “I am not!”

          “Well it sure looks like it to me,” Sparkler replied.

          “I’m looking for secret passages.”  The Pegasus braced her hind hooves on the wall again and threw herself back like before.  “Castles and mansions always have secret passages.”

          Sparkler rolled her eyes.  “Are you that glasses-wearing wackjob going on about aliens in the ballroom in a wig or something?  You’re certainly as loopy as she is.”

          The pegasus ignored her, jumping to the next sconce and pulling down.  This one pulled away from the wall with a piece of metal keeping it attached.  The panel next to it pulled into the wall and slid away to reveal a set of metal doors.  A chime went off, and the doors parted to reveal a good-sized elevator.

          “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sparkler let out before she could think better of it.

          The pegasus leapt down from the sconce.  “Told you.  I’m Surprise, by the way.”

          “Sparkler,” Sparkler replied.

          “What do you think it is?” Surprise asked.

          “A servant’s elevator,” Sparkler answered with barely a thought.  “Those supposed secret passages were halls and stairs servants used so they could move through the mansion or castle without being seen.”

          “Let’s see where it goes!”  Surprise skipped into the elevator.

          Sparkler heaved a sigh.  She might as well go too since she had nothing better to do.  She also did not trust this pegasus moving through the walls.  She stepped in and took in the small space.  The ceiling was an opalescent glass picture of a lavender bush with some kind of light above it.  She looked to the control panel, but there was just one button labeled with up and down arrows.

          “That’s odd,” Sparkler mused aloud.  “How do you select floors?”

          “Let’s go!”  Surprise pushed the button.  The chime rang and the doors closed.

          Sparkler expected to be carried up higher into the castle, so it was a shock when the elevator began descending and quite rapidly. “We were on the ground floor.  What could be below us?”

          “Maybe it’s the dungeon where they have a torture chamber.”  The broad grin on Surprise’s face made her suggestion all the more macabre.

          Sparkler let that sink in for a second before she found words.  “You’re warped.  Has anyone told you that lately?”

          Surprise shrugged.  “Not lately.”

          The elevator slowed eventually and came to a stop.  The chime sounded again and the doors opened.  Whatever was out there was shrouded in darkness so thick and inky Sparkler thought she could reach out and touch it.  The light from the elevator barely penetrated into the gloom, seeming to be consumed.

          Surprise bounded out, and even her white coat disappeared into the darkness only a few meters in.  Sparkler was more cautious stepping outside the elevator.  The floor was covered in a thick layer of fine dust, cushioning her hooves with every step.  The air was also stale, but not musty.  It was just stagnant with no motion and that unique smell—with nothing to really compare it to as it was a true lack of smell—saying it had been so for a very long time.

          A chime sounded and the doors closed, shutting out the light completely.  Sparkler jumped and her heart pounded in her chest.  She took a deep breath and summoned her magic to form a spark on the tip of her horn.  It did not light much, but it was something.

          “Get a hold of yourself, Sparkler,” she said quietly.  “The doors just closed automatically.  There’s nothing to be worried about down here.”

          She turned to Surprise almost nose to nose with her.  The harsh shadows caused by the spark made her look unearthly.  “SURPRISE!” the pegasus shrieked.

          Sparkler jumped a good half meter into the air and a full meter back.  Her heart bashed against her ribcage in a desperate attempt to escape its bony prison.  “What possessed you to do that?!”  She heaved a breath.  “Trying to give me a heart attack?!”

          “I’m sorry.  You seemed really high strung so I figured a good surprise would break the tension,” Surprise replied.  “You know, get it out of your system all at once.”

          Sparkler glared at the grinning pony.  “I was wrong before.  You’re not warped.  You’re _deranged_!”

          “Okay.  No one has ever called me that.”  Surprise turned away and again disappeared into the darkness.  “There’s a power switch next to the elevator, by the way.”

          Sparkler looked to the wall and large “Y” switch marked by a lightning bolt and some of those angular letters they had been seeing.  She shot a glare in the general direction Surprise had disappeared in.  “Then why didn’t _you_ throw it, you flying short circuit?” she grumbled under her breath.

          Sparkler took the handle in her magic and threw it up.  Dull clunks resounded around them and she could feel a slight breeze begin blowing through the air.  The stale scent subsided, but she sneezed as dust seemed to be replacing it.  A section of the ceiling lit up like a slice from a pie.  Sections lit up in sequence until the entire, circular ceiling cast light from behind metal grating.

          The ceiling of light lit up everything with barely a shadow to be seen and Sparkler could finally see what they had stepped into it.  It was huge, round camber with massive columns supporting the ceiling.  She and Surprise were standing on a raised platform with the main level below and accessed by stairs to the sides.  The walls—or rather wall since it was a cylinder—and columns appeared to be made of dark gray metal with absolutely no luster to it.  The columns were tapered, narrowest at the top and fattest close to the bottom.  Where the columns were their thickest, there was a black band with silver crescent moons and gold ray-casting suns in relief on them.  However, there were two moons for every sun, each bending towards the adjacent sun and away from the adjacent moon.

          At the end of the platform was another one of those strange chairs in front of several panes of glass and a table or counter of some kind.  Surprise jumped into the chair—sending up a cloud of gray dust—and pushing off to make it spin.

          After a few times around, she stopped to face Sparkler.  “Isn’t this castle awesome?  It’s full of surprises.”

          “Speak for yourself,” Sparkler grumbled.  She never liked surprises unless it was running across a stray jewel.  Ironically, it would drive her curiosity as she wanted to find something before it found her.

          She looked through the glass panes at the main floor which was at its widest in front of them.  There was a large, circular hole bored into the wall with large, metal rings built into its rim.  A ramp also led up into it, but it all just suddenly stopped a few dozen meters in at a wall.

          “Why go to the trouble of making a tunnel like that only for it to stop at a dead end?” Sparkler asked aloud.

          Surprise shrugged.  “Made sense to someone.”

          Sparkler looked at the counter in front of Surprise.  It was lopsided to the right, like a part of it had been removed or otherwise left out.  It was so covered in dust it was hard to tell anything about it.  She used her magic to brush it aside, but pushed over something else.  It was a cover of some kind and underneath it was a set of controls.  She pulled off more covers which revealed a keyboard, sets of sliders, dials, levers, and other controls.  However, all of the labels were symbols made of straight lines like everything else.

          “Cool!  It’s some kind of machine.”  Surprise reached for the largest button which happened to be red.  “Let’s turn it on and see what it does.”

          “Don’t!” Sparkler shouted.

          It was too late as Surprise’s hoof smacked the button.  Sparkler winced waiting for something to happen.  However, she was met by silence.  She cautiously opened her eyes and saw that nothing had changed.

          “What gives?”  Surprise smashed the button a couple times until Sparkler caught her hoof in her magic.

          “Why don’t we go back up and tell the others,” Sparkler suggested.

          Surprise pulled her leg back and crossed it with the other over her chest.  “Fine.”

          Sparkler looked down at the controls with the odd symbols.  “This castle just took on a whole new dimension of weird.”

* * *

          “Magic Star is not a name I expected for an earth pony,” Wind Whistler said to the yellow earth pony as they stepped into the elevator.  Her symbol of a magic wand was also something more expected of unicorns.

          “My father was a Canterlot unicorn,” Magic Star replied.  “He said he could sense I had a close connection to magic even if I wasn’t born with a horn.  I might not have unicorn magic, but I seem to have a sixth sense about it.

          “Besides—” the star-shaped hairpin flew out of her mane and hovered in front of her.  The star grew larger and the pin widened and lengthened into the shaft of a wand.  “This magic wand I made is as good as any unicorn’s horn.”  It shrank back into a hairpin and returned to its place in her mane.  “Stores better too.”

          “I see.”

          They began to descend and Wind Whistler tried to picture the strata they must have been passing beyond the walls of the car and shaft.

          “What about you, Wind Whistler?” Magic Star asked.  “What do you do for a living?”

          “I’m a collector and archivist of meteorological information in Cloudsdale,” Wind Whistler answered.  In fact, she would have to make a note about the ice chunks and other peculiarities of the storm system still passing over head once she returned home.

          “Ah, a cloud clerk,” Magic Star replied.

          Wind Whistler had no affection for that colloquialism for her position.  Granted, it was not treated with much importance, but was what put food on her table and gave her a table to put food on.  She buried her disdain behind a neutral expression.

          “Not happy with your place in life?” Magic Star asked.  She checked Wind Whistler’s symbol which was a collection of pink and baby blue whistles.  “Doesn’t even seem to fit you.”

          Apparently she did not bury it deep enough.  “The job provides, and I am quite proficient in its required duties.  It is also one of the few positions in Cloudsdale’s workings that have a work environment in solitude, and one of the more intellectually stimulating.  Though, I believe it still does not make full use of my skills.  As for my special talent, it is not the best to turn into a profession.”

          “I hear you,” Magic Star said.  “I figure if I wasn’t born into the family I was, the ‘way things are’ would have seen me shoved onto a farm or something like any other earth pony.”  She shook her head.  “No thank you.

          “Hey.  When we get back, maybe I can hook you up with some friends of mine in Canterlot.  You sound like the kind of brain they're always looking to recruit.”

          Wind Whistler’s mood brightened a little.  “That’s awfully generous.  Thank you.”

          Magic Star shrugged.  “Equestria seems to love pigeonholing ponies, and isn’t kind to those of us who don’t fit neatly.  We misfits need to stick together.”

          The elevator slowed and came to a stop with a slight shudder.  The chime sounded and the doors opened.  Wind Whistler stepped out into the chamber and opened her senses to it as she walked forward.  Stepping into the chamber was like not just stepping into a whole other building from the castle above but a whole other civilization all together.  The tapered columns—as opposed to straight—and dark gray walls of metal were nothing like the warm colors and delicate decorations of the castle.  There was the ceiling of light instead of any particular light fixtures like the castle had in abundance, and the only decorations here were the suns and moons on the columns.  The suns and more plentiful moons were what really made it seem like someone other than the builders of the castle made this because there was no reference to celestial objects in the castle’s décor at all.

          Beyond the jarring change of architecture and ornamentation, the most notable thing was the very slight breeze and the air only being faintly stale.  Fresh air had to be coming in from the surface somehow since Sparkler brought the power back on line.  She saw that between the columns were louvered vents in the walls.  They were the most likely entrance and exit points for the air, but there had to be something at the surface where the air could enter and leave.  She then remembered the metal objects which looked like they could be vents.  She marveled at the system for being both practical and inconspicuous.  Those not thinking would consider them just lawn decorations without realizing their true purpose.

          The older, white unicorn—Blueflower—stood next to the chair Surprise was sitting in.  She looked up to them.  “Good of you two to join us.  Care to try your hoof at our mystery machine?”

          Wind Whistler looked at the control panel.  The controls were rather generic with a double slider being the largest control of them all.  There was the lopsidedness of the setup, but there could be a hundred explanations for it.  She looked more closely at the labels.  It was more of those angular letters like above.

          The keyboard took her attention the most.  Unlike the Equestrian binary keyboard where a sequence of left and right keys and hitting the confirm bar to print the intended letter or other symbol, this one hand a small key for apparently every symbol.  The keys and buttons were shaped like mushroom caps made of metal with a glass dome over the engraving indicating its function.

          There was what appeared to be a base-ten numeric system using a pole with bars coming off it to indicate increments of one and a triangle once it reached five so it could start the sequence again.  The rightmost key was a diamond with a dot in the middle Wind Whistler figured represented zero.  Wind Whistler had never seen a numbering system like it—Equestria’s using different letters to represent 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000.

          In terms of actual letters, there were 24 made of straight lines.  To the side of the letters were symbols more familiar, basic marks for punctuation and bracketing similar to those used in Equestrian prose.  The rest of the keys had a combination of number and letter glyphs that meant something to those who knew the meanings of the strange characters.

          “I think I know these glyphs,” Magic Star said.  “They’re runes.”

          “Runes?” Surprise asked.  “What are runes?”

          “Letters, but made of straight lines so they could be carved into wood or stone easily,” Magic Star explained.  “Starswirl the Bearded used them as charms in some of his very first spells.”

          “Oh,” Surprise said.  “Cool.”

          “However, it looks like they’re being used as an actual language here,” Magic mused aloud.  She tapped her hoof to her chin as she stared at them.  “Starswirl never said where he learned these markings from or their exact meaning beyond their use in his spells.”

          “And what does that tell us?” Blueflower asked.

          “That maybe wherever here is, Starswirl had been in the distant past,” Magic Star said.  “But, he’d been all over.  That doesn’t really narrow things down for us.”

          Wind Whistler stared at the control panel intently as she considered everything else.  Nothing seemed right about this place.  There was the strange weather and ice falling out of the sky.  A castle sat in a fjord almost completely untouched and matching nothing in Equestria or the other known territories.  This keyboard and the chair were designed for a creature unlike anything ponies had encountered.  Even the odd overabundance of moons compared to suns on the pillars in here was out of place.  However, there was milkweed, great mullein, and aspen trees like any wilds of Equestria.  There was also the question of how it could possibly happen.  They conflicted with each other, so she was not sure.

          “What about you?”  Blueflower drew in close.  “Something seems to be on your mind.”

          “There is a logical explanation, but it is highly improbable,” Wind Whistler replied, still mulling over things in her mind.  “Really, it should be impossible.”

          “As they say, when you eliminate the absolutely impossible, what should be impossible must be the truth,” Blueflower said.

          That was not the exact wording of the saying, but a logical argument.  It did not help Wind Whistler’s confidence in her conclusion, though.  For one thing, it might send these already frightened and confused ponies into a panic—an unneeded and unproductive response, especially if it turned out she was wrong.

          The chime went off again and the doors opened to let Paradise leap out.  “The storm’s over and the sky’s cleared out,” she got out between heavy breaths.

          “That’s what usually happens after a storm,” Blueflower said sternly.  “What has you all worked up?”

          “It’s what’s in the sky,” Paradise said, breathing more evenly.  “You need to come up and see.”

* * *

          Wind Whistler stepped outside onto the stoop.  The air was much more pleasant, the heat and humidity were gone and the air smelled fresh after the rain.  A few chunks of ice were still scattered across the walkway and in the grass but they were little more than lumps and would soon be completely melted.

          Several ponies were standing on the south perimeter wall and gazing to the south.  Wind Whistler flew up to them and Blueflower and Magic Star with her wand in her mouth appeared in showers of sparkles.  They joined the others in gazing up at the now brilliant blue sky with the last of the gray stratoform marking the back of the storm retreating behind the ridge to the east.

          With the sky cleared of haze, Wind Whistler could see a massive, ghostly arch spanning the southern sky.  It reminded Wind Whistler of a vinyl record with a dozen or so tiny gaps and finer groves between them.  Just above that was a thread thin arch running parallel to the wider one.

          “What is that?” Magic Star asked.

          The pony with the sunglasses turned to her.  “That’s what we were hoping you could tell us.”

          “Look at the moon, too!”  Paradise pointed towards the east.

          Wind Whistler looked to just south of east at a moon almost halfway past its first quarter several degrees above the horizon.  Even with the partial moon visible and having to contend with daylight, Wind Whistler could make out dark patches on it that seemed to be the wrong shape and in the wrong places.  Though, there was the more obvious problem with it.  “What’s the moon doing out during the day?”

          “If you think that’s something, look right of the sun a bit over the southwestern horizon,” Paradise said.

          Wind Whistler spread her wings to hover to see better.  The sun was almost halfway between its noontime zenith and setting.  Wind Whistler held out her hoof to block it out and looked just to its right.  About forty-five degrees of arc from it, almost ready to disappear behind the mountains was a sliver like a waning crescent moon.  She looked back to the waxing gibbous moon to the east and then to the sliver.  Picturing the discs they would form, she figured the sliver would be two thirds the apparent size of the gibbous.

          “Do you see it?” Paradise asked.

          “Yes.”  Wind Whistler descended and set her hooves on the ground.  “It appears to be a second moon.”

          “But, there’s only one moon,” the pony with the sunglasses said.  She shuddered.  “Imagine if Princess Luna had a twin.”

          “Equestria has one moon,” Wind Whistler said.  That was all she needed to confirm her suspicions.  It also explained those pillars’ more numerous moons.  Really thinking about it, the gravity was ever so slightly less and the magnetic field was slightly stronger here.  The sun was also slightly brighter despite being slightly smaller in apparent size.  “As improbable as it sounds, we’re not in Equestria anymore—or even on our world.”

          “What?” the pony with sunglasses squeaked.  All eyes fell on Wind Whistler.

          Wind Whistler nodded her head.  “There are two moons in the sky, and I believe the arch is in fact a ring system circling this world around its equator.  I have no explanation of how or why, but the evidence is overwhelming that it is indeed the truth.  We have been somehow been removed from our world and brought to another.”

          Gasps came from the others followed by hushed conversation.

          Wind Whistler felt some sense of relief for getting that out and knowing it was true.  The mystery of where they were had been solved, but it led into countless other mysteries.  Thinking of an entire world unknown to them out there everywhere and Equestria and its relative safety impossibly far from them, Wind Whistler felt both elated and absolutely terrified at the thought of it.


	2. Chapter 2: Strange New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pegasi are sent out in teams to investigate this new world.

          The dining hall was more rustic in its design than the rest of the castle with the stone exposed and iron rings suspended by chains served as chandeliers.  However, the actual light was still produced by those glowing crystals.  The eleven wood tables were long, almost fifteen meters, with benches along their long sides and chairs at either end.

          Cupcake set down trays on the wide sill of the windows between the hall and the kitchen.  Wind Whistler picked up a tray with a plate heaped with grasses and flowers and a clear glass filled with water.

          The other ponies were sitting at the center table with Blueflower at its head.  Wind Whistler went to an adjacent table and set down her tray on the opposite side.

          “Excuse me, Wind Whistler, isn’t it?” Blueflower asked.

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “Would you come and join the rest of us,” Majesty said a gentle voice.

          “The dining hall has the ability to seat more than ten times our number,” Wind Whistler said.  “There is no reason to cram ourselves onto one table.”

          “Yes.  We can also all sit comfortably at a single table,” Blueflower replied.  She pointed her hoof at the copious amount of open space on the benches.  “Please, sit with the rest of us.”

          “But—” Wind Whistler started to say.

          “I insist!” Blueflower boomed.

          Wind Whistler swallowed and felt her heart beat quicken.  She picked her tray up and quickly made her way to the table.  She thought for a second of taking the chair at the far end, but sat down next to Paradise.

          Cupcake came out with a tray in her mouth.  She sat down on the opposite bench next to the Mustangian nurse—named Truly.  “All right, everyone, dig in.”

          “Wait!” the pony with sunglasses in her mane, Shady, shouted.  “If this is another world, how do we know these plants aren’t poisonous to us?”

          “They look, smell, and taste just like the edible grasses and flowers in Equestria.  I even made sure these were true dandelions,” Cupacke said.  “Besides, starving is certainly fatal.”

          “They look like it to me, too,” Posey, the yellow earth pony wearing artificial white flower in her pale pink mane, added.  “Every plant species I’ve seen looks identical to a species found in Equestria.  Though, I would like to study them more closely to be sure.”

          “Applejack and I also checked the nearby orchards,” Cherries Jubilee, a peach-coated earth pony with a heavy curl in her coral mane and tail, said.  “They’re cherries and apple trees exactly like what we raise back in Equestria.  The cherry trees are mostly Ulster and I mean identical to the Ulster cherries my family grows up north.  There are some other varieties too but they’re mostly for pollination.”

          The orange earth pony, who looked like an almost exact double of the Element of Honesty from a hundred years ago, sat next to Cherries Jubilee.  “My family would be jealous beyond belief.  We have a real, honest to goodness Baldwin orchard here.  They’re paired with Akane and Calville Blanc.”  Along with having longer, curlier hair than her namesake; this Applejack lacked the rural accent of the original element bearer.

          She licked her lips and stared off into space.  “There’ll be ripe, juicy apples for munching and baking and sweet cider from late summer ‘til the first snow.”

          “Focus, Applejack,” Cherries Jubilee scolded, startling Applejack and making her back away.

          “How can another world have the exact same plants as Equestria?” Firefly, the pink pegasus with the electric blue mane, asked.

          “Perhaps specimens of these plant species were brought here like we were at some point in the past and they took hold,” Wind Whistler suggested.  She pondered.  “Or, the opposite might be true.  These plant species are endemic to this world and were imported to Equestria at some point.  Even the domestic breeds of cherry and apple trees date back centuries, and the explanations for their origins have been obscure.”

          “So, my family has been raising alien apple trees all this time?” Applejack asked rhetorically.  She rested her chin on her hoof.  “Bet they’d love to hear that.”

          “How did they weather the storm?” Bow-Tie, the blue earth pony with the yellow ribbons in her mane, asked.  “I’m surprised anything is still standing after all that.”

          “The trees took it fairly well, actually” Cherries Jubilee answered.  “There were a lot of leaves and some fruit down.  A bunch of twigs and some small branches broke off as well.  I only saw one decent-sized branch that snapped.  Fortunately, Ulster cherries are resistant to splitting so close to harvest.”

          “The castle also really took it well,” Bubbles, the yellow earth pony with a blue mane and white diamond on the bridge of her muzzle, added.  “I’m a bit fearful of the winter if the slopes of the roofs are any indication.”

          Blueflower levitated a fork and tapped it against her water glass.  The conversations died down, and everyone turned their attention to her.

          “While this discussion of botany and architecture is riveting, we need to discuss our plans,” Blueflower said in a calm tone that carried the air of authority.  “Let’s start with three realities facing us.  First, although the ponies back in Equestria probably know we’re missing, it’s doubtful they know we’re here.  That makes rescue unlikely which leads into the second reality.  If we are to return to Equestria, it will be by our own efforts.  That takes us into the third reality before us which is we need to be prepared for being here for the duration.  It’s possible we will never make it home.  Reliable shelter and food and water should be our top priorities.”

          “We have shelter in this castle,” Bubble said.

          “We also have plenty of food and water in the valley,” Cupcake said.

          “Yeah.”  Lickety-Split, the purplish-pink earth pony, glared at the pile of grass in front of her.  “If you don’t mind eating grass and flowers for every meal every day for the rest of your life.”

          “We’ll have cherries in a week or so!” Cherries Jubilee declared.

          “And apples come the fall!” Applejack added.

          “There’s also the rest of the world out there.”  Shady trembled.  “Who knows what’s out there?”

          “Which is why we need to work some things out here and now,” Blueflower said.  “First of which is how we are going to govern our little group.”

          “I suggest a direct democracy,” Wind Whistler said.  “This group is small enough we can decide everything with an up or down vote of everyone involved.”

          Blueflower pointed to Wind Whistler.  “That is an excellent idea.  Ironically we will decide whether or not to be a democracy democratically.  Raise you hoof we you think we should decide things by vote.”  She raised her hoof.

          Wind Whistler raised her hoof and twenty-six other hooves went up.  Applejack, Firefly, and Truly were the only objectors.

          “Democracy it is then.”  Blueflower lowered her hoof.

          “Though, even a democracy needs a leader,” Magic Star said.  “I nominate Blueflower.  You’re the oldest and already seem to be in the role.”

          “I don’t need to be reminded of my age,” Blueflower said.  She bent her mouth into that lopsided grin.  “However, I’m glad it comes with some perks.  I will be leader if that is the will of everyone.”

          Some ponies whispered in the ear of those adjacent to them.  However, all hooves went up 

          “All right,” Blueflower said.  “As my first act as leader, I ask for suggestions regarding our next move.”

          North Star, the pink pegasus with the Trottingham accent, stood up.  “I say we go out there and explore.  The pegasi can fly out there for the day and see what we can find.”

          Paradise raised her hoof. “I second.”

          “What about the rest of you?” Blueflower asked.

          Wind Whistler raised her hoof.  She definitely wanted to know what was out there for herself.

          Lofty, the yellow pegasus with the yellow mane and tail, raised her hoof.  Surprise shot hers up.  Firefly raised her hoof and Medley, the green pegasus, immediately followed.  Heart Throb, the pink pegasus with the curly pink hair, and Skydancer, the still costumed ballerina, raised theirs.  “No reason to be the odd pony out,” Skydancer said.

          Blueflower nodded.  “Then the pegasi will be on exploration duty tomorrow.  The rest of us can explore this castle and valley further as well.  We should know what all we have at our disposal.”

          She looked to Cupcake.  “Make sure pegasi eat well tonight.”

          Cupcake nodded in response.

* * *

          Wind Whistler’s heavy stomach sloshed with water and grass.  She understood why they called it being as ‘full as a tick’ now as she imagined she looked like a gorged tick with her belly bulging out.

          However, it was a tried and true pegasi strategy for major flights.  ‘Well fed before bed, light for the flight.’  Her energy reserves would be full for the flight, and she would not be weighed down by recently eaten food when she had to actually take to the air.

          She pulled open the door to the long building extending northwest from the keep.  While some other ponies went directly for the luxurious bedchambers on the keep’s upper floors, Wind Whistler was perfectly content with one of the simple servants’ quarters in these buildings.

          The building had an open hall with stairs connecting the balconies of the three floors.  There were doors leading into the keep at the first floor where Wind Whistler entered and the third floor since the peaked ceilings of the keep made its levels twice as tall.

          Wind Whistler ascended the nearest staircase to the second story on the southeast side.  The doors were arranged to be in groups of four on either side of a door in the center well removed.  Wind Whistler remembered there was an extension in the building in the center corresponding with the door.

          She opened it and entered a gang bathroom.  There were shower stalls along the opposite wall with the windows almost two meters off the floor.  The walls to either side had stalls that with the tanks of toilets peeking out from above them.  The sinks with mirrors above them were along the wall with the door.  The clicks of her hooves on the tile floor echoed around her off the tile walls and ceiling.

          She gave a nonverbal thank you to whoever built this castle with internal plumbing—even if utilizing the toilets not design with a pony in mind would take some getting use to—and decided to not think of where the wastewater and its contents ended up at the moment.  That was something for when she was less tired and not nursing a full belly.

          She went to the nearest door towards the castle side.  That seemed to be the most ideal location to make her quarters.  She knocked on the stained oak, and after hearing nothing pushed down on the handle.

          The interior was dark, but there was a handle next to the door pointing down.  Wind Whistler pushed it up and light from a simple light fixture in the center of the room’s ceiling.

          The servants’ quarters were small, but comfortably so.  There were the standard fixtures of a bedroom: a bed with a footlocker at the foot, dresser, wardrobe, desk with a lamp, and vanity with a small mirror.  A nightstand with another lamp and clock sat next to the bed under the window with curtains drawn over it.  It was simple but functional: all Wind Whistler asked out of a bedroom.

          She looked back at the ribbon around her tail.  She had forgotten it was there after everything that had happened.  She was still unsure how it got there.  They had seen no one, so it was unlikely that they were tied onto them while they were unconscious.  It might have been a result of whatever took them from Equestria and brought them here.

          Whatever the case, it had been completely harmless for the entire afternoon and evening.  If anything, it had come to feel natural to have it in.  It was also white: her favorite color.

          It looked like it was made of silk or satin.  Either fabric would wrinkle if she slept in it, so it would have to come out for the night.  She grabbed the tail of the ribbon in her mouth and easily pulled it out of its bow.  Her tail lay flatter now that it was free.

          Wind Whistler actually liked the look of the bow in her tail.  Along with being aesthetically pleasing, it kept her tail more in control.  Though, now that it was out, she did not know how to put it back in.

          She brought the ribbon closer to try to picture how she could tie it when it flew out of her mouth and tied itself into a perfect bow again.  “Well, I guess that answers that,” Wind Whistler said to the ribbon even though it would not answer.  At least, she hoped it would not answer.  It was enchanted, but what it could do besides tie itself could wait until later.

          She turned back to a lever in a panel on the wall next to the door with a rope connecting it to the light fixture on the ceiling.  She pushed it down and watched how it worked this time.  Metal strips with mirrored surfaces closed over the glowing crystal inside the light fixture to shut out its light.  She pushed the lever back up, and the strips opened to let it cast its light again.  “Interesting.”  She pushed the lever down to once again to conceal the crystal.

          She pulled the switch to provide light again for removing the ribbon from her tail.  She laid it down neatly on the table of the vanity.  She also took her headband—a metal arch covered in white felt—off her head and laid it down next to the ribbon.  She pushed the lever on the wall down to put the room in darkness once again and plopped down on the bed, letting her body settle on the moderately firm mattress.  Between the food in her stomach and all the excitement, her body was exhausted.

          With the room in darkness, she could see a green glow coming from the outside.  She pulled herself off the bed and pulled the curtain away to look out.  Her window gave her the view of the ballroom’s north wall and a small wedge of open space with stone tables and chairs.  A green glow covered everything.

          She looked up at the sky.  Faint, curtains of light rippled in front of the plentiful stars.  They were mostly green but their faint tops were purple.  The phenomenon looked like the aurora that would come from the Crystal Empire, but it seemed much higher in the atmosphere and bigger.

          “Will this world ever cease with its wonders.”  Wind Whistler let the curtain drop and returned to the bed.  She worked her way under the covers and rested her head on the pillow.

          Although her body was ready for sleep, her mind was still active.  There were so many things to consider and ponder. However, fatigue ultimately won out, and Wind Whistler fell asleep.

* * *

          Truly stretched as she walked out of the bedchambers she had claimed.  It was a good thing she was quick to take a room in the upper keep rather than be forced to take one of those Spartan servants’ quarters.

          She stopped at a mirror to give herself one more check.  Her mane bun was tight and her dress, apron, cap, and that dark aqua ribbon she somehow picked up yesterday were neat and even.  As not just a nurse, but a young mare of Mustangian high society, she had been drilled thoroughly in the importance of keeping a proper appearance.

          That tail ribbon caught her particular attention.  It was a bit of a shock to her yesterday, but it felt natural to have it in after wearing it for several hours yesterday.  Being her favorite color had also buttered her up to the cute, little strip of silk.

          In the mirror, she saw another of the tall doors open and Skydancer walk out.  Truly turned to the ballerina, seeing her without her costume for the first time.  With her rainbow mane loose, Truly could see just how long it was as it cascaded to her knees.

          “Good morning, dear,” Truly said.  “Hope you slept well.”

          Skydancer spread her wings as far as they would go and arched her back.  “I haven’t slept that well in years.  My bed’s so comfy.”

          “My, you look like a completely different pony when not in that ballet getup,” Truly said.  “I do declare you could wear your mane like a rainbow cloak.”

          Skydancer held her mane in the crook of her front leg.  “I thought of putting it up, but figured it was too much trouble for just flying around and looking at things.”  She looked to Truly.  “I see you got your mane back in a bun.”

          Truly stood tall and held out her chest.  “It’s a lot of work, but a proper nurse always wears her mane up when on duty.”

          “You do realize we’re not in Equestria anymore,” Skydancer said.  “No one is here to tell you to follow the sillier rules.  Will a pony die if you look after them with your mane down?”

          “The rules are all I have here besides my uniform and training,” Truly replied.  “I will not throw them away just because I’m in a different world.”

          Skydancer shrugged.  “Suit yourself.”

* * *

          Breakfast was light for the pegasi, just enough to get the metabolism going.  Once all the dishes were in the scullery to be washed, everyone stepped out into the front courtyard.

          The sun was warm on Wind Whistler’s coat, but there was more of a breeze out of the north this morning.  The air was dry and much cooler than yesterday, perfect for long distance flying.  The lack of clouds also suggested little turbulence in the atmosphere, even better.

          “Coming through!” Paradise shouted from behind Wind Whistler.  She flew out of the castle with several rolled up sheets of paper in her front legs.  Buttons and Ribbon followed holding up a small table in their magic.  They set the table down in front of Blueflower, and Paradise stacked the papers.

          “I went through every map I could find,” Paradise said as she unrolled one.  “I figure we’re here since most of the maps are of it.”

          The map depicted a landmass longer than it was broad jutting what seemed to be northwest from a larger landmas.  Wind Whistler remembered the globe slowed a protruding landmass from the northwestern corner of the supercontinent.  The map showed the southern coast was cut deeply by many fjords which had branches feeding into them.  Lines of mountains ran the length of the middle and divided the fjords from one another.  Larger symbols for mountains formed a solid line where the landmass met the main land.  Everything was marked with those runes, so it was impossible to know what they were representing.

          “How big do you think it is?” Lofty asked.

          “It’s hard to tell,” Paradise answered.  She unrolled another map of one of the fjord systems in particular.  “However, we’re at the foot of a huge mountain just north of us, and I think I found where we are specifically.”

          On this map, there was a symbol for a large, snow-capped mountain.  A small fjord was immediately south of it, emptying into the main trunk east of it at about its middle.  “I believe we’re here,” Paradise pointed to it.

          Wind Whistler looked at the other features of the map.  There was a region northwest of them.  A few symbols in it were what looked like crystals.  Paradise pointed to them, “This was the most peculiar feature I found.  I don’t know what to make of it.”

          “Then that looks like a perfect target to explore,” Blueflower said.  “I was planning on teams of three.  Two we explore our fjord system and the one west of us.  The third will go there.

          She turned to Posey.  “Do you have our lots ready?”

          “I got them right here.”  Posey placed a vase with flower stems sticking out of it.  “There are three of each color—orange, yellow, and blue.”

          “Excellent,” Blueflower replied.

          “Okay, listen up,” Blueflower said clearly to the crowd.  “The pegasi are going to draw lots to see who goes with who and where.  Since there are nine of you, I figured three teams of three.”  She motioned to the jar.  “If you pick yellow, you’re heading northwest to this place with the crystals.  If you pick blue, you’re going explore the main fjord we’re attached to.  Orange will send you west across the mountains to the next fjord.”

          “This is just a simple exploration mission.  Fly out and see what’s out there and then start heading back by noon so you return before dark.”  Blueflower looked up at the castle.  “It’s safe to assume there is sapient life of some kind somewhere out there.  Someone built this castle.  If you do see anything intelligent, avoid contact.  We’ll deal with that later.  Just explore and report back, got it?”

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler said along with the others giving their statements of agreement.

          “Line up alphabetically,” Blueflower said.  “Firefly, Heart Throb, Lofty, Medley, North Star, Paradise, Skydancer, Surprise, and Wind Whistler; and, please, no trading.”

          Wind Whistler stood there as the others formed the line in front of her.  She was not going to have any say in where she would go.  She was hoping for where the crystals were as that seemed to be the most unusual target and had her curiosity.

          Firefly picked up a stem in her mouth and pulled out a blue flower.  Heart Throb followed, pulling out an identical flower except yellow.  Lofty got yellow.  Medley got blue.  North Star was the first to draw orange, and Paradise was the second.  Skydancer drew the final blue flower, and Surprise got the last yellow.

          Wind Whistler was disappointed to see the last yellow flower drawn, especially right before her.  However, she dared not show it.  No matter where she was going, she was going to see something new.

          Wind Whistler stepped up to the jar with one stem left.  “It is technically a formality, but…”  She took out the last orange flower.  She would be going west with North Star and Paradise.

          “You leave presently,” Blueflower said.  “Good luck and stay safe, my little ponies.”

          Wind Whistler joined North Star and Paradise still holding their orange flowers.

          North Star spat out hers.  “Come on.  Let’s not dally any further.”  She pointed to the west.  “We are about to go boldly where no pony has gone before.”

          “The castle?” Paradise asked since North Star was pointing right at the front door.

          North Star lowered her brow and slid her eyes to Paradise.  “You know what I mean.  Let’s go.”

          They spread their wings and leapt into the air.  With several flaps they were airborne and rising over the perimeter wall.  Wind Whistler looked back at the two other teams taking off and flying to the north and east.  She turned back to Paradise and North Star as they banked around in front of the waterfall.

          “See you at sundown,” Lofty said as her and her team headed northwest.

          Wind Whistler and her team headed towards the row of rocky peaks forming the western border of the valley.

          Wind Whistler felt her heart quicken.  They _were_ about to go where no pony had gone before.  She might not be investigating what those odd crystal symbols meant, but she was going to see something ponies had never seen.  That mixed feeling of elation of discovering something new and terror of facing the unknown was back with a vengeance.  Come what may, they were heading straight for it.

* * *

          Lofty had spent much of her life flying high above Equestria.  Whether towing her hot air balloon with passengers or just getting from point A to point B, she was well accustomed to the view of the ground far below her.  She knew how the terrain progressed from one climate to another, and this world seemed to follow the same logic.

          The mountains gave way to foothills which then led to broader plains.  That made sense considering the sense of flatness she got from the region with the crystal symbols.  The vegetation quickly went from trees and grass between the mountains and on the hills to scrub on the plains to gravelly desert.  Mountains always made transporting clouds difficult, so the lands in their lees were left as a desert only getting rain with the largest orders.  The same was true here.

          There was some sign that the storms that hit them yesterday stretched this far with some moisture.  There were isolated puddles wherever the land dipped, and the shallower depressions were simply darkened.  A fraction of rain fell here compared to the storm that got in the valley.

          “I spy with my little eye something starting with ‘B’,” Surprise said as she continued the spontaneous game of _I Spy_ she had roped Lofty and Heart Throb into.

          “Butte,” Heart Throb replied halfheartedly.

          “You’re good at this,” Surprise chirped.  “Now it’s your turn.”

          Butte rose out of the gravel like ships run aground in a calm sea.  There was no trace of green or even brown vegetation.  However, the desert floor seemed to twinkle in the sunlight as they flew over it.

          “I wonder what’s causing that,” Lofty thought out loud.

          “Hey!” Surprise blurted.  “It’s Heart Throb’s turn, and you’re supposed to start with ‘I spy with my little eye’.”

          “I don’t know, darling, but it might have something to do with those weird symbols on Paradise’s map.”  Heart Throb flew closer to Lofty.  “Let’s go down for a closer look?”

          “We’re supposed to just fly over,” Lofty said.

          “Let me put it another way.”  Heart Throb flew close enough to whisper into Lofty’s ear, “Would you rather Surprise continues her game of _I Spy_?”

          “Point taken,” Lofty replied.  She pointed down.  “We’re going to land and take a closer look.”

          “Fine by me.”  Surprise folded her wings and spiraled down.

          Lofty spiraled down towards the desert floor.  She spread her wings and flapped to slow herself.  Clay dust rose up as she gently planted each hoof on the floor.  She could already feel heat radiating off the ground and smell the scent of baking clay.  The sun was nowhere near its noon pinnacle, and she could already tell it was going to be oppressively hot before too long.

          Large crystal formations came out of the ground and glistened in the sunlight.  Some were just small mounds barely coming out of the ground while others rose several meters into the air with branches coming off the main trunk.  These had to be what the map was depicting.

          Heart Throb landed and gasped.  “Darlings, this is absolutely gorgeous.”

          Surprise tapped a big, fat crystal looked like a giant barrel cactus.  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say were plants.”

          “How do you know better?”  Lofty pointed to the south and the rings arcing across the sky.  “Another world, remember?”

          In fact, some of the formations looked even more plant-like with leaves of crystals.  Along with resembling various forms of cacti, some formations reminded Lofty of aloe and yucca palms.

          “So, our valley has normal plants, but this desert just a stone’s throw away has crystal plants?” Heart Throb asked.  She heaved a sigh.  “This world seems to exist to confuse us.”

          “We can tell Posey when we get back,” Lofty said.  She could feel her body prickle as sweat seeped into her coat.  “Let’s get back in the air.  This desert’s already baking.”

          “What’s that?” Surprise pointed to the south.

          Lofty turned around to twinkling along the ground a few kilometers away.  They were definitely twinkling like they were moving, unlike the glistening crystals.  A faint cloud of dust was rising behind them.  She could make out six distinct twinkling objects, and they were moving closer.

          “I don’t know, but we were told to avoid contact,” Lofty said.  “Get airborne.”

          Heart Throb spread her wings.  “You don’t need to tell me twice!”

          They had to run a bit to get enough speed to take off in the hotter air.  Lofty turned back as they gained altitude.  Two of the twinkling objects left the ground, and one of them shot towards them like it had been shot from a cannon.

          The object blasted past Lofty, a twinkling streak of pink, green, aqua, blue, and purple.  It slowed and looped around—a pegasus like them.  Almost like them.  Her body glistened in the sun like crystal and light glinted off polygons in her sapphire eyes.  Her mane and tail were a mess of green, aqua, blue, and purple locks.  She was a Crystal pony.

          “I knew you were ponies,” the pegasus said so quickly Lofty had a hard time keeping up.  “Galaxy was not sure because we hadn’t seen any other ponies all day yesterday, but I could tell you were ponies when you landed.  I’m Whizzer, it’s really great to meet you.  Where did you come from?  Are you from this world, or did you end up here like us?”

          “Wait, wait, wait!” Lofty interjected.  “Can you speak more clearly?”

          “Sorry, I’m just really fast at everything,” the pegasus continued at basically the same breakneck speed.  “I fly fast.  I talk fast.  I’m the fastest flier in the Crystal Empire.  That’s why I’m the royal messenger.  I can get a message anywhere in the empire before you can blink.  It’s like you blink and I’m back.  At least I was until I showed up here.  I mean, I still that fast, but I’m not in the Crystal Empire anymore.”

          Lofty stared at her blankly.

          “You should meet Galaxy.  She’s about as much of a leader as we have.  Come on, quick, quick, quick.”  The pegasus dashed down.

          “And ponies say _I’m_ hyper,” Surprise commented to Heart Throb out of the corner of her mouth.

          “Come on.”  Lofty descended.  “Hopefully this Galaxy is easier to follow.”

          The pegasus landed next to the other five ponies.  They were all Crystal ponies with crystalline eyes and manes and tails banded in four colors.  They also had ribbons tied around their tails like Lofty and the other ponies from the valley.

          The pink unicorn with red, pink, white, and orange hair and ruby-like eyes walked up.  She had a headband like Wind Whistler’s only blue with a star-shaped ornament on one end and the arch crafted like a tail.  “It’s good to see other ponies.”

          Lofty landed.  “Same here.”

          “I’m Galaxy,” the unicorn said.  She motioned to the other unicorn—green with a big, pink bow in her pink, white, darker pink, and dark green mane and ruby eyes.  “This is Fizzy.”  She then motioned to the pink pegasus.  “You already met Whizzer.”  The yellow pegasus with aqua, green, lime, and vibrant yellow hair and emerald eyes behind a pink masquerade mask.  “Masquerade.”  The white earth pony with blue, dark purple, pale pink, and lavender hair and sapphire eyes.  “Gingerbread.”  The remaining earth pony—pale blue with purple, pink, paler pink, and white hair and eyes like amethyst—backed up behind the others.  “And Sweet Stuff.”

          “Everyone calls me ‘Sweetie’,” the earth pony said in a soft voice.

          “Well, I’m Lofty and they’re Heart Throb and Surprise,” Lofty said.

          “How’s it going?” Surprise asked.

          “Crystal Empire?” Lofty asked.

          Galaxy answered with a nod.  “You?”

          “We’re from all over Equestria,” Lofty answered.

          “So, you woke up in this world yesterday afternoon too?” Galaxy said.

          “Yup,” Surprise answered before Lofty could.  “We’re in a castle about a hundred kilometers south southeast of here.”

          “There’s thirty of us or so,” Lofty added.

          “A castle?” Fizzy asked rhetorically.  “Lucky.  We had to sleep in some creepy, old ruins.”

          “We also haven’t had anything to eat since we got here,” Gingerbread added.

          “You poor dears,” Heart Throb swooned.  “Please, come back with us.  We have more than enough room.  In fact, let’s head back now.”

          Lofty heaved a sigh.  She looked to the crystal plants.  It was still early morning, and there was more to explore about this strange desert and beyond.  However, we four ground bound ponies and mountains between them, they would be lucky to reach the fjord before nightfall if they started now.  “Okay.”

          She licked the roof of her mouth, feeling the dryness.  “We should have brought water along.”

          “You need water?” Galaxy asked and then smiled.  “It’s all around you.”

          “There is?”  Surprise swung her head from side to side.  “Where?”

          Galaxy walked up to the nearest crystal and plunged her horn into it.  “Right here.”  She strained a little before her horn popped out of the crystal’s hull and water poured from the hole she made.

          Surprise put her muzzle in the stream and loudly sucked it in.  She pulled her head away and exhaled.  “That feels so good.”

          “It was a shot in the dark, but we poked holes in these crystal cacti and found out they’re full of water,” Galaxy said.  “Unfortunately, they’re inedible.”

          “Well our valley is full of lush grasses and flowers and even some fruit trees,” Heart Throb said.  “You can eat to your heart’s content there.”

          Lofty sucked in enough water to wet her throat.  The water was fresh but a little warm.  She turned to Galaxy.  “Did you see the two moons?”

          Galaxy nodded.  “When we woke up, they and the rings were the first things we saw, and I knew we had been taken to another world.  I’ve already dubbed the larger moon Luna Major and the smaller Luna Minor.”

          “Dubbed?” Heart Throb asked.

          “Galaxy is the Imperial Stargazer,” Fizzy answered.  “She watches celestial objects for the royal family.”

          “Yes,” Galaxy said.  “I made other astronomical observations last night, but they can wait until we reach your castle.”

          “Then let’s get going!”  Surprise spread her wings and took off.  “I bet we already made the biggest discovery of the day!”

* * *

          The mountains rose to the west to a point.  Then they began to slowly drop off when they were across the divide between their fjord system and the next.  The mixed forests in the valley became all conifers in the mountains with a sharp line where all plant life just stopped growing altogether.  Some of the highest peaks even had snow at their summits even though the longest day of the year was only a couple of weeks away.

          Wind Whistler then realized there was no telling if the seasons of this world matched up.  The night had been very short, and the weather was similar to that of late spring or early summer.  They would have to track the behavior of the day cycle to see which side of the solstice they were on.

          After they crossed the divide, the rivers went from flowing east to west.  The conifer forests also began to climb higher on the mountains as well.  While a field day for a hydrologist and geologist, there was still no sign of sapient life, not even paths of travel.  Likely, whatever dwelled in the fjords would travel by water to each other than trek through the mountains.

          Wind Whistler flicked her ears to the sound of wheezing.  She looked back at Paradise falling even further behind.  She flapped her wings slowly and held her head low.  Wind Whistler also felt the burn of lactic acid in her wings and her throat was dry.

          “Can we take a break?” Paradise wheezed.

          “Fine,” North Star exhaled.  She pointed down.  “We can rest and get a drink there.”

          She banked and spiraled down towards a river rushing over the rocks below.  Wind Whistler landed and dipped her muzzle into the water.  They water was clear and cool, soothing her throat.  Paradise landed as quickly as possible to do safely, skipping before coming to a rest.  She flicked her glasses down from her muzzle to hang by their chain before plunging her entire head in the water.

          After a few seconds, she pulled her head out and gasped for air.

          “Don’t drink too much,” North Star said.  “You don’t want to weigh yourself down.”

          “Are you all right?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Paradise took in another deep breath and exhaled.  “I haven’t flown very far in my life.  And definitely not this far up.  The air’s too thin.”

          “We’re on the downside of these mountains,” North Star said.  “We’ll probably be over the next fjord after a few more kilometers.  Though, we will have to ascend them again to return.”

          Paradise sat down and breathed heavily.

          Wind Whistler took the rest to survey the area.  The mountainside was rocky with some boulders bigger than a pony.  The pine trees were tall, thin, and clumped closely together.  Their scent made the thin air refreshing, and Wind Whistler was already feeling her wings recover.

          Inside the woods, several old logs lay on the ground or against the living pine trees.  The fallen logs were anything from still having green needles to nothing but gray trunks completely stripped of their bark.  Most were skeletal remains with stubs of old branches.

          “What a pit,” North Star said.  “It looks like no one has been out here to clean up in years.”

          Wind Whistler looked up at the sky.  Something she noticed was the smaller moon was both noticeably thinner and closer to the sun than it was yesterday.  In fact, it was almost invisible in the glare.  The change in distance was by less than ten degrees.  It was like they were moving independently of each other, very much unlike the sun and moon in Equestria which Princess Celestia and Princess Luna kept moving at the same speed.

          “Maybe no one or anything else comes to clean things up,” Wind Whistler said.  “This is another world.  Who is to say it has to follow our rules?  Maybe the environment has no caretakers, instead left to its own processes.”

          “You realize you’re saying this is essentially Everfree…World,” Paradise said.

          “A strange new world,” North Star said.  “You were the one saying real life is so boring.  Well, here’s your chance for excitement.”

          “So far, we’ve just found a good way to turn our lungs inside out,” Paradise said.

          “Still a lot of out there to explore,” North Star said.  “We haven’t even reached the next fjord yet.”

          A shadow passed over them.  Wind Whistler looked up, and saw a massive silhouette banking slowly from heading roughly northwest to west.  It looked like a bird with the primaries apparent in its broad wings in the formation one would see on a soaring raptor, but the body was long and slender with a flare from the midpoint to the three-quarters point.

          “What’s that?” Paradise asked.

          “Looks like some kind of bird,” Wind Whistler said.  “Though, I’ve never seen anything avian that large or that shaped.”

          “Let’s follow it.”  North Star spread her wings.  “It’s heading the general direction we were anyway.”

          “We should still hold back so we won’t be noticed,” Wind Whistler suggested.

* * *

          They followed the creature far enough back it was a speck ahead of them but still visible.  The mountains below become lower and gentler in their slopes as trees finally covered their summits.  The small mountain streams collected in rivers and the valleys around them broadened to kilometers wide.

          Also, the first signs of civilization finally appeared.  Dirt paths crossed each other in a grid pattern with areas of pasture divided by fencing.  Buildings ranging from small sheds to farmhouses and barns sat on the sea of green grass, and animals loitered and ran through the areas fenced in.  Where the paths had to cross the river, there were bridges with mechanisms to raise the center of their spans.

          Wind Whistler stopped when she saw the distinct shape of equines in one of the pastures.  Paradise stopped with her, and North Star eventually looped around.

          “What’s going on?” North Star asked.

          Wind Whistler pointed down.  “There are ponies down there.”

          “This is great,” Paradise said.  “We can ask them about this place.”

          “We’re not supposed to initiate contact with the local population,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “What if they’re other ponies from Equestria?” Paradise suggested.  “We should go down and see.”

          “I agree,” North Star said.

          Wind Whistler thought about it for a second, and had to give a nod.  “You’re right.  However, we should still be cautious.”

          They circled down and landed towards a corner of the pasture.  The grass ranged from barely coming out of the ground to clumps so tall they would reach their underbellies.  There were also random weeds and even bare spots.  The moist air carried the smell of sweet grass as well as equine body odor among other things.

          From the ground, Wind Whistler could see these equines varied wildly in size and build.  Some were only as tall as a young colt with short, stocky legs.  A few, particularly those with feathering around their hooves like pony stallions, were absolutely gigantic, even compared to their fellows, with thick, muscular legs.  The equines that appeared to be average for this group were still bigger than an alicorn, Saddle Arabian, or even giant ponies with long, spindly legs.

          All of their muzzles were longer than those of ponies with looser lips.  Their coloration was less vibrant than ponies too: white, gray, black, rust-colored red, and shades of brown, tan, and blond.  Some had markings or mottling across their bodies, but there was nothing that could be called a symbol on any of them.

          “I think it’s safe to say they’re not from Equestria,” North Star said.

          Paradise walked up to the nearest equine, a mare with a chestnut coat and blond mane.  “Hello there.  Could you tell us where we are?”

          The equine pivoted her ears and grunted before biting off some grass.

          Paradise tapped her hoof.  “Well?  Do you even understand me?”

          Wind Whistler hovered to the large equine and looked at her more intently.  Her brown eyes were more widely spaced than those of ponies, and the pupil was rectangular, not round like a pony’s.  Her stare also seemed blank, not really focusing on them.  It was more like how an animal would stare at her.

          “You know,” Wind Whistler said, “I don’t think these equines are sapient.”

          Paradise hovered up.  “Doesn’t seem like it.”

          “I wonder why,” North Star said.

          “Different world, different evolutionary path?” Wind Whistler suggested.  “We know there were smaller-brained mega-equines once in our world, but they died out.  I guess this world’s counterparts flourished and became the prominent equine species.”

          “That’s a shame.”  The mare nuzzled Paradise, and she giggled.  “They seem friendly enough, though.”

          A stallion come up and nuzzled Wind Whistler.  He puffed from his nostrils and snorted, probably getting her scent.  She resisted the urge to laugh and squirm as it tickled.  “They’re probably more docile with us because we’re mares.  Our pheromones must be similar enough they think we’re new females entering their herd.”

          More of the equines gathered around them and seemed to be intent on getting their scent as well.

          After being snorted and sniffed by several of them and almost dissolving into a laughing fit from the tickling, Wind Whistler rose out of the equines’ reach.  It also gave her a chance to survey the rest of the pasture and beyond.  A wooden, split-rail fence contained a hectare or so of land around them.  A farm house with white siding and pink shingles sat outside of the fence with a barn nearby.  The equines might not be sapient, but something intelligent lived here.

          The screen door leading onto the porch of the farmhouse flew open and a creature practically leapt clear across the porch to the ground below.  It broke into a run on its hind legs for the fence.

          She turned to back of North Star and Paradise.  “Something’s coming!  Hide!”

          She looked around the area for something to hide behind.  The closest thing was a metal water trough.  “Over there.”

          She dove behind the trough and North Star and Paradise joined her.  They peeked out over the rim as the creature ran towards the group of equines.

          As it got closer, Wind Whistler could make out more about the creature.  She already knew it was a biped with long hind legs.  It held its upper limbs bent and pumped them backward and forward as it ran.  Given its boxy frame and concentration of mass in the upper torso and limbs, she figured it—or rather _he_ —was a male.

          His head and neck were mostly hairless with his light pink skin exposed except for a short, rust-colored mane and patch of hair on his upper lip.  He looked like he came from the primate branch, great ape to be exact with no sign of a tail and his upper limbs ending hands with four long fingers and a well developed opposable thumb.  His nose and chin were more prominent than those of apes Wind Whistler had seen, and his mouth was more solidly placed in the main structure of his head.

          He wore clothing that covered everything but from his neck up and his hands.  A tan coat with a tall collar went from his shoulders to almost the ground, unbuttoned in the front to show the brown shirt underneath and a blue garment that covered each hind leg separately.  A tan, wide-brimmed hat sat on his head and he wore reddish-brown boots made of leather on his feet.  He clenched a mesh of leather straps in one of his fists.

          They ducked down as he drew close enough he might see them.

          “What is that?” North Star asked in whisper.

          “I remember reading Princess Twilight Sparkle’s journals about her journeys to a parallel world populated by advanced, bipedal apes called humans,” Paradise whispered.  “Her descriptions and drawings of them look a lot like him.”

          “Then perhaps we are in that world,” North Star suggested.

          “Except she never mentioned that world having two moons and rings,” Paradise said.  “Also, when she traveled to that world, she was transformed into a human herself.” She held up her hooves.  “We’re still ponies.”

          “Polaris!” a gravelly voice called out.

          Wind Whistler peeked over the trough.  The equines were scattering as the human stood there.

          “What are you doing all together like this?” he asked.  “Come, on you have an entire pasture to run around in.”

          “Well, at least they speak our language,” North Star whispered.

          “Or we somehow understand their language as ours,” Paradise suggested.  “Princess Twilight Sparkle described understanding the language of the other world as if it was Equestrian.”

          He turned to a mare that was completely black except for a white, diamond-shaped spot on her forehead like Bubbles and Seashell had only much smaller.  “There you are, girl.”

          He held up the straps and slipped them over her head.  The smaller circle went around her muzzle just behind her mouth and he buckled the larger circle behind her eye.  She reared her head and grunted, but he held the strap and gently patted the side of her neck.  “That’s right, girl.  We’re going riding.  I’m sorry I can’t put your tack on, but we have to go now.”

          He climbed on top of the equine’s back and swung one leg over so he was sitting on her.  The horse whinnied.

          “I know, I know.”  The human picked up a loop connected to the straps.  “Those blasted feather dusters are early.  Just remember this is for Megan.”  He flicked the loop.  “Go!”

          The equine reared and whinnied before vaulting forward.  She accelerated into a full gallop towards the fence running along a path and jumped over it.  She barely broke her stride turning to follow the road of pulverized earth and stone.  Dust kicked up in her wake as she galloped away.

          Wind Whistler then remembered the bird creature they had been following.  It had to have disappeared by now, but she could see it circling in the distance.  The human and the equine appeared to be headed right for it.

          “Humans ride these equines,” Paradise mused aloud.  “That’s something to report.”

          “I say we follow them,” North Star said.  “We still have plenty of time before noon, so let’s see what they’re up to.”

          “Sounds like a plan,” Paradise said.  “What about you, Wind Whistler?”

          “I don’t see any logical reason to object,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Then let’s go.”  North Star took off and flew in the same direction of the dust cloud.

* * *

          The human and equine stopped where the path terminated at an intersection with another.  There was a clump of trees nearby with thick undergrowth.  Wind Whistler followed North Star and Paradise in the tangled mess of bushes and vines.  Her heart quickened as she feared they would be found.  Every snap of a twig and rustling of a branch was an explosion in her ears sure to alert everything in the area to their presence.  However, by the time they got into a position where they could see the intersection from cover, they seemed to have gone unnoticed.

          The human climbed down from the equine and gave her a pat.  The equine bit at the grass as he walked away from her and towards the bird creature as she landed and folded her wings behind her.

          The sight of her—Wind Whistler assumed female because the slender build, curved features, and black leather dress—made Wind Whistler’s blood run cold.  The human was already tall by pony standards, but this thing was head, shoulders, and breast taller than him.

          Her dress was open in the back to accommodate her large wings, a buckled collar holding the front up over her prominent chest.  Her head and neck were similar to a human’s, even having a long and rich mane of blond hair, but the tops of her earlobes came to a sharp point and her skin was a few shades darker blue than Wind Whistler’s coat.  Her eye brows went up at an angle to shot far from her eye sockets to curl down and in, combining with her sharp nose to give her face a raptor-like appearance while remaining remotely human-like.  Below her collar bone, she was clearly avian.  A thick plumage of soot gray feathers covered her body except the bottom halves of her limbs which were covered in yellow scales.  Her feet split into three toes pointed forward and one back.  Her hands were similar with three fingers and an opposable thumb.  All the fingers and toes ended in long, sharp claws like those of a bird of prey.  The only thing human-like about her body was her posture as she stood straight up and her knees bent forward.

          A strap slung across her chest held a canvas cylinder to her back between her wings.  A couple dozen arrows with feathered ends stuck out from the cylinder as well as a long linen cloth likely holding a bow of some kind.  A canvas belt around her waist held a number pouches too.  The chest of her dress also had a large, gray pattern embroidered into it that looked like a stylized hoof guard (Ω).

          Wind Whistler shrank back, hoping this thing did not detect her.  Every fiber of her being told her this was a predator.  From head to feet, she was equipped to capture, kill, and eviscerate prey.  As a prey species, even one as advanced as a pony, she felt the instinctual fear of every pony from the very first on down in the presence of this creature.

          It was not like this with predatory species in Equestria.  Griffons were common visitors to Cloudsdale, but familiarity with them and the knowledge they did not eat ponies squelched her instincts.  However, she was on an unknown world with an unknown predator that looked like she could rip even the biggest griffon Wind Whistler had ever seen in half with little effort.

          Her heart pounded, sending a generous supply of blood through her body.  She senses became more vivid.  Every muscle in her body was tense to the point of aching for action.  However, she was still a sapient being, able to use her intelligence to keep herself from flying into fight or flight.  She knew she was hidden and that she had a mission to investigate.  Besides, vaulting out of the thicket would give them away.  Better to hunker down and watch for now.

          “I hope I never meet one of those in a dark alley,” Paradise whispered, but it sounded too loud to Wind Whistler’s ears.

          “I wouldn’t want to meet one in a busy street in front of a police station in broad daylight,” North Star replied.  “But keep it down.  We don’t want them to hear.”

          The human walked up to the bird creature and glared up at her.  She held out her hand.  “Did you bring it?”

          The human reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a red, heart-shaped locket on a leather necklace.  “Here it is.  Now, where’s my daughter?”

          “She’ll be returned once we know it’s real,” the bird creature said in a cold and dispassionate tone.  “Now, hand it over.”

          The human clinched his fist over the locket and pulled it back.  “No!  I give you the locket.  You give me back my daughter.  That’s the deal!”

          The bird creature’s mouth dropped into a scowl.  “Give me the locket!”  She grabbed at the locket’s necklace and tried to pull it away, but the human tightened his grip.

          The human braced his feet and pulled back.  “Not until you return Megan!”

          “Stupid ape,” the bird creature snarled through her clenched teeth and raised her right hand with its sharp talons ready to strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -In the U.K. Sweet Stuff was known simply as Sweetie. I prefer this name for her (I actually like a lot of the U.K.'s pony lore), so I decided to go with a compromise. Her full name is Sweet Stuff, but she goes by Sweetie for short.


	3. Harpies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wind Whistler's group encounters a dangerous local and learns some more about this world.

          “She’ll cut the poor chap to ribbons!”  North Star’s exclamation almost caused Wind Whistler vault out of her hiding place like a compressed spring let loose.  Before Wind Whistler could think, the pink pegasus had jumped from the underbrush and galloped straight at the bird creature.  She threw her body right into her midsection and knocked her away.  The human fell back, grazing a small stone with the back of his head and lay there motionless.

          Wind Whistler slapped her pastern over her forehead.  “So much for avoiding contact.  What was she thinking?”

          “Sometimes you need to follow your heart,” Paradise said.

          “Her cardiovascular muscle group won’t be of much benefit if that thing tears it out of her chest,” Wind Whistler replied.  “But, if we’re going in, I guess should we should go all in.  Come on.”  She jumped from the underbrush.

          The bird creature had been stunned by North Star ramming her.  She braced herself on her hands and glared down at the pegasus across her lap.  “He was supposed to come alone.”

          North Star looked up just in time to get backhanded in the face and thrown back.

          “North Star!”  Paradise ran to North Star.

          Wind Whistler ran to the human to investigate his condition.  She put her ear to his nose and mouth and thankfully heard and felt breath.  There also seemed to be no bleeding from where he struck the stone.  Though, there was no way to tell if he suffered a closed head injury.

          She turned her attention to the locket lying in his open palm.  It looked like an ordinary trinket that would be in the bit bin of any jewelry store, nothing that should justify this kind of a struggle over.  Yet, both seemed desperate to have it.

          “Little horses with wings?” the bird creature snarled.  “Is this some kind of sick joke?”

          Wind Whistler turned back to the bird creature looming over North Star and Paradise, flexing her talons.  “I don’t know how he conjured you freaks, but you’ll pay for interfering.”

          Wind Whistler thought fast for a way to get her away from them.  Her thoughts quickly fell on the locket.  She took it and dropped it around her neck.  “Looking for something?”  She held up the locket so it was in plain view.

          The bird creature turned back and bared her sharp teeth.  “Give that to me.”

          Wind Whistler felt her heart quicken at the sight of those flesh-tearing fangs, but suppressed her fear.  “North Star, Paradise, take to the air!”  She followed her own advice and leapt into the air.  She flapped her wings as fast as her muscles could to gain altitude.  She looked back and saw North Star and Paradise were right behind her.

          The bird creature was also airborne, but her massive wings required slower and more sweeping strokes, and she was falling behind.  She was designed for soaring, riding air currents over long distances.

          Wind Whistler slowed enough to allow North Star and Paradise to come abreast to her.

          “What do we do?” Paradise asked.

          “I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” North Star said.

          “We need to take assessment of our advantages and disadvantages against our current adversary,” Wind Whistler said.  “Then we can develop and execute an effective strategy of defeating her or driving her off.”

          “I don’t think we’re beating that thing,” Paradise said.  “Maybe if she gets the locket, she’ll leave.”

          “Absolutely not!” North Star insisted.  “We can’t let such a ruffian just make off with the goods.  Besides, who’s to say she wouldn’t come after us once she had it out of spite?”

          “Just give me a chance to think.  There has to be a way to defeat her.”  Wind Whistler looked back the bird creature far below them.  “She obviously has size and strength on her side.  However, we seem have superior climb and probably speed and maneuverability.  Also, if she is like most birds of prey, she is more capable of attacking from above than below.”

          “So, we just have to stay above her,” North Star said.  “Sounds easy enough.”

          Wind Whistler glanced down again and noticed something had changed about the bird creature.  She was hovering as best as she could with a line straight up and down.  Wind Whistler quickly realized what it was.  “Uh oh.  I had neglected one advantage she has.”

          “What’s that?” Paradise asked.

          “She carries a ranged weapon,” Wind Whistler answered.

          An arrow shot up towards them.  They split off as the arrow, as big as a javelin, shot past them.

          Paradise straightened out her flight and watched the arrow arc back down.  “You were saying, North Star?”

          “I seem to remember there being an old pegasus trick for defeating archers,” North Star mused aloud.  “I just can’t remember what it is exactly.”

          Wind Whistler looked down at the bird creature.  She was reaching back into her quiver and took a while to pull out an arrow, and she also seemed to take unusually long time placing it on the bow and raise it.  _She appears to be unskilled with the bow,_ Wind Whistler thought.

          The arrow went for Paradise, who had to roll away to avoid it.  “Think faster, North Star!  We don’t have all day!”

          “That’s it!” North Star exclaimed.  “They would fly into the sun and then dive straight out of it to keep the archer blinded.  Come on!”

          She shot up towards glaring sun, and Wind Whistler followed.  She shut her eyes, but the light from the sun still passed through her eyelids, making her vision a field of bright blue.  Its warmth bathed over her face and chest, feeling soothing amongst the chaos of the situation.

          “All right, I’ll get her bow,” North Star said.  “You knock her out of the sky, Wind Whistler.”

          “I will try,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “Either you do or we’re dead!” North Star shouted.  “Now dive.”

          Wind Whistler turned back and could open her eyes.  North Star was diving forward, right on a line from the sun to the bird creature who was trying to shield her eyes from the glare.  Wind Whistler’s brain was swimming in blood and adrenaline.  Time seemed to slow as her body and mind were operating faster to make snap decisions.

          She followed North Star several meters back and worked out her options.  She did not know how an adrenaline rush affected other ponies, but for her, it sent her brain into overdrive.  Everything was analyzed and weighed; all possibilities considered and thoroughly thought out in the blink of an eye.  _North Star will grab her bow, and the bird creature will try to hold on out of impulse.  The momentum will turn her back to me._   That limited her options.  A slash of one of a pegasus’ wings to the lower body could do significant damage—assuming she could avoid the talons—but her back turned meant she would have to contend with the bird creature’s huge wings that could easily knock her senseless and falling to her death without even a deliberate strike.

          She would need to rely on her hooves and momentum to do something.  However, that was a weakness of the pegasi.  She was five percent lighter than a unicorn or earth pony of a similar volume due to her lightweight skeleton.  Her hooves were also softer with more spongy tissue and thinner hulls to absorb the shock of landing on them as well as further reduce her mass.  That meant some of the energy she could use would be lost.  She needed to be precise and make just the right blow in the right place.

 _I have to disable her with my first strike.  If I don’t, she could turn back and use those claws at close range._   Wind Whistler tried to push the image of those claws slashing across her throat from her mind. _The spine would be too hard to hit with the precision needed at this speed.  It has to be the base of the wings where the supercoradecoideus connects to the avial humerus.  A well placed hit to them will pinch the nerves going into the wings, and she won’t be able to control them for a few seconds.  Given the pull of gravity, even four seconds of paralysis and free fall would send her almost a hundred meters down.  You have to put all your momentum right there, Wind Whistler.  One hoof on each to either side of the quiver.  It’s your only chance._

          North Star veered slightly to the left and grabbed the end of the longbow.  The bird creature grabbed it with both hands and was turned around.  Wind Whistler saw her targets, the point where bones of the wings disappeared into her back on either side of the quiver.  The flight muscles just emerged to connect to the bone by tendons.  There were also nerves that communicated to the muscles of the wings themselves.  She put her front hooves in front of her and adjusted her speed to approach while those massive wings were spread.

          She collided hooves first right at the base of the wings.  She let her knees buckle so more energy was built into her muscles, she then locked her knees straight again to send it all into the bird creature’s back.  Wind Whistler was sent upward slightly and the bird creature tumbled towards the earth.

          The shock made her let go of the longbow, and North Star wrenched it from her grasp.  She fell several dozen meters, her wings flailing fruitlessly.  After perhaps three seconds, she spread her wings out straight and glided to level off.  She flapped to gain height and turned back to them.

          She clinched her fist.  “Give that back!”

          “Take it back if you can!” North Star shouted back as she slung the huge bow over her chest and back.

          That would be almost impossible.  Without an ability to attack at range, they could always remain above her and out of reach.

          The bird creature hovered there for a second, probably realizing what Wind Whistler had.  She pointed at them.  “Don’t think this is over,” her tone had lost its coldness and lack of passion, sounding more forced and rough like a pouting foal.  “I’m not alone, and when my friends about hear this, you’ll be sorry.”

          She glided under them towards the south southeast.  Wind Whistler waited until she was so far away she could not be seen before she allowed herself to relax.

          “That was a top notch hit.”  North Star hovered up to Wind Whistler.  “We showed her.”

          “We did.”  However, Wind Whistler could not chase a feeling of dread.  There were more of those things, and the bad archery skills and immature outburst suggested the one they had to trick just to chase off was one of the younger and weaker ones.  She did not want to think of stronger and more skilled ones being out there.

          “That’s a nice souvenir.”  Paradise pointed to the longbow.

          North Star adjusted it was she could see.  “A fine piece of craftsmanship.  Or, whatever they are.  I think this is genuine yew.”  She flexed it.

          The longbow lived up to its name, being at least three meters long while strung.  Wind Whistler estimated it was about a third longer than the bird creature was tall when she was wielding it, so she estimated her at standing between two and quarter and two and half meters with a wingspan double that.  Again the thought her ‘friends’ could be even bigger and stronger made Wind Whistler’s stomach turn.

          She then remembered the locket around her neck.  She had taken it to lure the bird creature into the air, but it still belonged to the human.  “Let’s return this locket to its rightful owner and make a hasty departure.”

          She spiraled down and landed next to the still unconscious human.  North Star and Paradise landed.

          Paradise looked down at him.  “Do you think he’s all right?”

          “He is still breathing, and there was no external damage,” Wind Whistler said.

          Paradise tapped his cheek gently.  His eyes winced and his flexed his fingers.

          “Don’t rouse him!”  Wind Whistler swiped frantically at the locket’s necklace to get it off.  “At least let me get the locket off and put it in his hand first!”

          His eyes opened and he slowly sat up.  He looked around blearily until his sight fell on Wind Whistler.  He immediately gained focus and his mouth bent into a frown.  “Give that back!  It’s mine!”  He reached for it.

          “You can take it!  You can take it!”  Wind Whistler ducked her head so he could pull it off with little effort.

          He pushed himself back with his eyes wide with shock.  “Talking ponies?!”  He winced and rubbed the part of his head that hit the stone.  “I must have hit my head harder than I thought.”

          “I can assure you we’re real,” Paradise said.  “I’m Paradise, and the others are North Star and Wind Whistler.”

          “Daniel.  Daniel Williams.”  Daniel stood up, rubbing his head.  “Nothing feels broken, but by Epona, I’m in for a nasty bump.”

          He looked around.  “Where’s the harpy?”

          “Harpy?” North Star asked.  “If you mean that incredibly rude bird monster, we chased the feathered hooligan off.”  She puffed out her chest.

          “No!”  Daniel winced.  “Oh no, no, no, Epona, no!  Now they’ll never return Megan alive.”

          “Megan?” Paradise asked.

          “My daughter!” Daniel answered, holding his head in his hands.  “They kidnapped her yesterday and demanded my wife’s locket for her safe return.”

          “Considering the harpy’s actions immediately prior to North Star’s intervention,” Wind Whistler said, “I don’t think they intended to return her anyway.”

          “I guess you’re right.”  Daniel sulked to the equine which had stood there through all the excitement.  “I’m just a simple horse rancher.  What did I do to deserve this?”

          “Horse?” North Star asked.

          “What you are and what she is.”  He patted the equine’s side.  “Well, at your size, it would be more accurate to call you ponies.”

          “You know of ponies like us?” Paradise said.

          “That can talk and fly?  No.” Daniel said.  “But there are breeds almost as small as you, mostly from the steppe and other cold and inhospitable would be hard to raise larger horses in.  Those are what we call ponies here.”

          He turned to the horse. “Good girl, Polaris, staying by me despite all that happened.  There are some carrots in the future for you.”

          The horse craned her neck back and nuzzled him.  He gently took her muzzle in his hand and petted her.  “This is Polaris, my boss mare.”  He held up her head.  “When you neigh, the others listen.  Isn’t that right?”

          Polaris snorted and pivoted her ears in response.  Daniel let her head go.

          He puffed out his cheeks and slowly exhaled.  “I don’t know what do now.”

          “Perhaps we could discuss this at your home,” Paradise suggested.

          “That sounds like a good idea.”  Daniel climbed onto Polaris’ back.  “I need to tell my other kids what happened.”  He rubbed his head.  “And get something cold for my head.”

* * *

          Wind Whistler stared at the farmhouse now that she was up close to it.  It was two stories tall with small windows in the peak of the roof suggesting an attic and more close to the ground suggesting a basement.  It was quaint in its construction and design, much like houses in the more rural areas of Equestria.  Though, the roof had proper shingles instead of hay and pine thatch.

          The porch had a wicker couch and cushioned swing seat hanging from a beam.  A wind chime waved in the breeze, making a pleasant sound as its narrow pipes bounced off each other.  A lamp was attached to the wall next to the door However, instead of a prism of metal strips it was glass tube open at the top and leading into a bulge at the bottom.

          Daniel opened the gate in the pasture’s fence and undid the bridle from Polaris.  She whinnied and ran through the gate towards the other horses.

          “You did a good job, Polaris.”  Daniel shut the gate and slid the bolt into place.  “I just wish we had more to show for it.”

          He made his way to the farmhouse and stepped up onto the porch.  He stopped and turned back.  “I’m not in the habit of letting horses into the house, but I’ve never met talking ponies before.  Why don’t you come in and have a cold drink of lemonade and meet my other two kids.”

          “We’d be delighted.”  Paradise fluttered up to the porch.

          North Star and Wind Whistler looked to each other.  “We’ve been invited,” North Star said.  “It would be rude to refuse his hospitality.”

          “Blueflower is not going to be happy when she hears about this,” Wind Whistler mumbled under her breath as she climbed the stairs onto the porch.

          The interior was as quaint and rural as the exterior.  Much of the furniture was made of wicker or solid wood with cushions attached to the seats and backs of chairs.  The large windows allowed in ample light from the outside, and the light-colored walls carried it well into the house.  Lamps and light fixtures had glass pipes like the porch lamp.  Where Wind Whistler could see the interior, she saw they had strips of thick and fuzzy cloth coming out their necks with bottoms lying in reservoirs of a brown liquid.  It seemed more primitive than the castle’s glowing crystals and mechanics that allowed them to be closed off.  _Probably just the difference between the commoners living in the countryside and the royalty or nobility that had owned the castle,_ Wind Whistler thought.  A stairway leading straight to the door divided the living room from the dining room.

          “Bad feng shui,” Paradise whispered to North Star only to get a forceful shush from her.

          “Danny, Molly,” Daniel called up the stairs.  “Dad’s home with some visitors.”

          After a couple seconds, two smaller humans appeared at the stares.  The older-looking one was a male with a rust-colored mane like Daniel’s.  The younger was female with a thick, curly mane of pale yellow hair held in clumps on the sides of her head.  The male wore a blue shirt and blue lower garment similar to Daniel’s.  The girl’s lower garment was pink and came up to cover her chest with straps going over her shoulders.  The white blouse under it had a wide, lacy collar and short, puffy sleeves.

          Wind Whistler noted that their skin color was a pale pinkish like pony skin under their coats.  “Not much color variance,” Paradise whispered to her.  “These are definitely not like the humans Princess Twilight Sparkle described.”

          “Did they give back Megan?” the male juvenile asked as they came down the stairs.

          “No.”  Daniel rubbed the back of his head.  “It was nothing but a trick, but my new friends got me out of it in one piece.”  He winced.  “Mostly.  Can you get a small ice block and wrap a towel around it for my head.”

          “Sure thing, Dad.”  The male went into the kitchen past the dining room and opened a large box.

          “Ponies!”  The female jumped from the third step up and wrapped her arms around North Star’s neck.  “They’re so pretty.”

          North Star wrapped her front leg around her.  “The feeling is mutual, love.  You’re an adorable little thing, aren’t you?”

          The female looked up at North Star.  “And you talk!”  She then turned her attention to her wings.  “You have wings too!  Can you fly?”

          North Star grinned.  “Is water wet?”

          “Can you do it carrying me?” the female asked.

          “That’s enough, Molly,” Daniel said.

          The male handed Daniel a towel wrapped around something the size of his hand.  “Here you go, Dad.”

          “Thanks, Danny.”  Daniel gently touched the cloth to his wound a couple times before easing it onto it.  He heaved a relaxing sigh.

          “They’re not like our horses, Molly?” Daniel said as he sat in a wooden chair at a round table.  “They’re smart like people.  You can’t just hop on and ride them.”

          “It’s quite alright, Mr. Williams.  She asked permission,” North Star said.  She turned back to Molly.  “I doubt you weigh too much, so I think I could fly with you on my back.”  She nuzzled her chest.  “You’d just have to hold on real tight.”

          Molly buried her face in North Star’s mane.  “You’re the greatest thing ever.”

          “The greatest thing ever would be getting Megan back,” Danny grumbled.  “You should have gone to Birch Loch to have the knights take care of those overgrown feather dusters.”

          “I thought I could take them at their word,” Daniel replied.  He took the soaking wet towel from the side of his head.  “I’m sorry, Danny.  I learned my lesson the hard way.”

          He looked to Molly still hugging North Star.  “Can you get our guests some lemonade and sugar cookies?”

          “Sure.”  Molly skipped into the kitchen and grabbed a large pitcher filled with a cloudy, yellow liquid and several slices of lemon in it.  She dropped two fistfuls of ice cubes into the pitcher and set out six glasses.

          “It’s heavy, so I’ll pour it.”  Danny took the pitcher before Molly could and poured the lemonade and ice into the glasses.  He turned back to them.  “Do we need to hold the glass or something?”

          “No, we’re fine.”  Paradise picked up a glass in her pastern and put it to her lips.

          “Now that is a neat trick,” Danny said, picking up a glass himself.

          Paradise finished downing the drink.  “And that is some refreshing lemonade.”

          “I’ll get cookies too.”  Molly got a plate and jar.  She pulled out several pale tan cookies and dropped them onto the plate, but kept one to bite into.

          “We probably won’t have many cookies,” North Star said.  “We have a long flight back to the others ahead of us.”

          Paradise heaved a sigh.  “Don’t remind me.”

          Wind Whistler took up a cold, sweating glass and took a sip.  The lemonade was sweetened, but still had enough tart to it.  After all that flying, it felt good as its coolness spread from her throat.  It was also more satisfying than water.

          She examined the dining room more as she nursed her drink.  There was a picture hanging on the wall.  It was of five humans, three of which were Daniel, Danny, and Molly.  The other two were a juvenile female older than the other two and an adult female.  Although the picture was monochromatic, she could tell the two had light colored manes, but not as light as Molly’s.  The adult let her long mane hang loose with a distinct wave to it while the juvenile had hers held in the back by a ribbon tied into a large bow.  Both wore garments similar to Molly’s only the sleeves came past their elbows and the bottoms of the legs and the straps of the lower garment had frills.

          “Is this your entire family?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Daniel looked at the picture, and his mouth sank into a frown.  He seemed to be staring off into space more than at the picture.  “Yes, my wife and kids at least.  That’s me and my wife, Margret, and our three kids.  Megan is the oldest.”

          “Where’s your wife?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Daniel’s lip quivered slightly.  “Dead.  She was taken from us by pneumonia this past winter.”

          Wind Whistler felt a pit in her stomach.  “I apologize if I’ve opened any wounds.”

          Daniel touched the ice to his head, and heaved a sigh.  “It’s just she was a real light in my life, and she was taken from us far too soon.  She didn’t even get to see her eldest daughter come of age which is was so looking forward to.”

          “And now Megan’s been taken,” Danny said.  “Why did the harpies come back and kidnap her?  We’re just horse farmers.”

          Daniel sighed.  “I don’t know, Danny.  I just don’t know.  I don’t think they need a reason, to tell the truth.  They do what they do because they can, and know no one can stop them.  We were just unlucky enough to be noticed.”

          “These harpy things have been here before?” North Star asked.  “Forgive our questions, but we’re very new here.  In fact, we don’t even know what here _is_.”

          “You’re in the land of Boreas,” Daniel answered as he held the now thoroughly wet cloth to his head and took a drink of lemonade.  “It’s as north as you can get on Tellus without getting your feet wet.  Well, the northern coast is.”

          _The world is called Tellus and this landmass is called Boreas,_ Wind Whistler registered in the back of her mind.  All information had a use whether now or in the future.  Also, since they had made contact anyway, they might as well gather whatever information they could.  “We are currently based in a fjord due east of here and came west to investigate.”  She drained the last of her lemonade and set down her glass.  “We believe it is attached to the fjord system adjacent to yours.”

          Daniel nodded.  “That would be the Grand Trunk Fjord, the largest.  You’re now in the Choked Fjord System.”

          North Star furrowed her brow.  “Why would you call it that?”

          “The fjord is choked off by a moraine just a few kilometers in.”  Daniel closed his free hand.  “The rest of it and its branches are lakes and rivers rather than deep inlets like the other fjords on the southern coast.  The benefit is there is plenty of rich farmland, but things are transported over land here which is perfect for my people.”

          “Your people?” Paradise asked.

          “We’re called Horse People.”  He managed a smile.  “You might know where we get the name from.

          “We’re not native to Boreas.  We come from east of the Barrier Mountains, but traders from this fjord brought many families and herds here with—” his smile disappeared as he must have been searching for words—“promises of work.  This was around two millennia ago.”  Daniel’s smile returned.  “Boreans are better seamen than horsemen, and we serve an important niche here.”

          He pointed to his head.  “You’ll know horse people by our red hair, freckles and more greenish eyes.  Native Boreans are all fair, blond, and perfectly blue eyed.”

          Wind Whistler looked to Molly with her pale blond hair.  While Daniel had a pair of emeralds, Molly and Danny also had baby blue eyes.  Although there was no color, Marget and Megan had hair too light to be the rust color of the males.  “What about the females of your family.”

          “Oh,” Daniel said.  “My wife is…was a native Borean.  My family was incensed because we usually keep to our own kind, but Cupid’s arrow had struck.  Besides, my wife gladly accepted our culture.”

          “Are the strange clothes your wife and daughters are wearing a part of your culture?” North Star asked, looking at the picture.

          “They’re not strange,” Molly insisted.  “They’re functional.”

          “I don’t doubt it, but don’t female humans wear dresses?” North Star asked.

          “We only wear them for special things,” Molly said.  “The other girls around here wear them all the time, but they’re hard to ride horses in.”

          Wind Whistler noticed another picture.  In this one, Daniel and Danny were wearing dark coats over white shirts, and Margret and the girls wore light colored dresses.  The background was a town or village decorated for some kind of festival.

          “How many kinds of humans are there?” Wind Whistler asked.  “There are three kinds of land-dwelling ponies from where we come from.”

          Daniel leaned back.  “There seems to be a kind of human for every kind of weather and land.”  He shrugged.  “We’re also not the only smart people, but most of the others stick to their own little corners of the world for the most part.”

          “Where is this Boreas’s unified government?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Daniel leaned back and exhaled a laugh.  “Unified government?  If only.”  He collected himself.  “No.  There’s not central government here.  Each fjord system is ruled by a fjord earl who controls their fjord, its branches, and the adjacent highlands.  They see each other as economic rivals, and you would sooner stack marbles in a corner than get them to work together on anything.  Be careful of the Grand Trunk Fjord’s earl.  He’s a shrewd business man, and will make sure he gets the most silver from you as possible while parting with as little of his as he can.”

          “Mom told Megan and me Boreans use to work together when the Valkyrie Queens ruled,” Molly said.

          “That’s just what mothers tell their daughters to make them feel superior,” Danny said mockingly.  “They could supposedly go anywhere walking on a rainbow too.”

          “It’s true!” Molly insisted.

          “It’s what the Boreans say,” Daniel interjected.  “But even if it was true, that was a thousand years ago, and the harpies put an end to that.”

          “Which brings us back to them being here before,” Paradise said.  “What happened a thousand years ago?”

          Daniel sat up in his chair.  “I guess, since you’re new here, you probably haven’t heard the history of Boreas, or at least what they claim is history.

          “According the stories the Boreans tell, the first Valkyrie Queen was sent by their gods to unite their war-torn land under rule.  She brought with her the Bifröst, the burning rainbow bridge that they used to travel from their celestial realm to the world of mortals.  With it, she could travel anywhere in the world instantly.  Awestruck by this display of power, the earls bent the knee to her.

          “She united the landmass and gave it its name, taken from a southern language for north.  For centuries, she and her descendents ruled over a prosperous empire the envy of the world.”

          “Sounds like our Equestria,” Paradise said.  “What happened?”

          “One day, for reasons we still don’t understand, Sol dimmed and the skies looked as if spoiled milk had been spilled across them,” Daniel continued.  “The weather turned colder.  Snow fell during the summer, and the winters became even harsher.  Crops failed, and the mighty empire was starving.

          “Seeing the plight of her people, the queen at that time decided to send envoys further south to see if they could purchase more food from milder climates.  However, those envoys were met given a savage welcome by the harpies who attacked without provocation and forced them back to the north.”

          “I see rudeness must be hereditary for those beasts,” North Star said.

          “After years of the long winter, the skies returned to normal and Sol regained her natural brightness.  Summers became warm again and crops began to grow.  It looked as if Boreas had survived the disaster, but that was when the harpies came north.

          They came to Boreas looking for the Bifröst, envious of the Valkyrie Queen’s power and wishing to take it for themselves.  The people of Broeas were weakened from the famine, and there was no defense from this airborne foe.

          Seeing her empire being ravaged with no resistance, the Queen challenged the leader of the harpies to the duel with the Bifröst as the prize.  They fought to the death, and the queen emerged the victor.  However, she was also mortally wounded, and the harpies declared it a draw and continued their campaign of terror.

          “The empire was lost, but the queen had plans.  Her infant daughter disappeared shortly before her death as well as all the secrets to their family’s dynasty.  The harpies were driven back south eventually by the coming winter, but by that point the damage had been done.  With the Valkyrie Queen dead and her powers lost, Boreas reverted back to a patchwork of earldoms.

          “What happened to her daughter is anyone’s guess.  Some say she was killed by a harpy raiding party.  Others say she was taken to some far off land to live in exile.”  Daniel shrugged.  “However, it’s all idle speculation.”

          “I didn’t even believe in harpies until yesterday.  They came out of nowhere and snatched Megan while we were running back home before a storm hit.”  Danny clenched his fist.  “They said they’d give her back if they got Mom’s locket.”

          Wind Whistler was puzzled.  “If they came to attack your whole country a thousand years ago, why come back for some commoner’s mundane-looking locket now?  It seems like a significant step down in priorities.”

          “Well, when Mom was sick, I heard her telling Megan that the locket is magic,” Molly said.

          “Magic,” Danny scoffed.

          “Have you opened it to see?” North Star asked.

          “No one can open it.  Believe me, I’ve tried,” Daniel said.  “Megan is supposed to receive it on the night she turns thirteen: a family tradition according to my wife.”  He scratched at the hair on his upper lip.  “I guess we’re lucky, because she turns thirteen on the night Mani the Younger is new which is in a few days.  I don't know what else they would have wanted in exchange if they already got it.”  He dropped his hand from his face.  “I don’t know if it’s magic, but it has been passed from mother to daughter for generations, and my wife always kept it close.”

          “When Megan was taken, I found it and prayed for it to save her,” Molly said.

          Wind Whistler had a thought enter her conscious thinking.  It was completely illogical, but she remembered what Blueflower had said.  They were dealing with the completely unknown here, and what seemed illogical could in fact be perfectly logical in this world’s paradigm.  “When exactly was Megan taken?”

          “Around noon,” Danny said.  “They came in right before some really nasty storms hit and dropped hail and stuff.”

          That must have been the same storm system that affected their valley.  “And you immediately made your ‘prayer’ to the locket when this happened?” Wind Whistler asked Molly.

          Molly nodded.

          “What are you getting at, Wind Whistler?” North Star asked.

          Wind Whistler motioned for them to talk away from the humans.  They turned around and Wind Whistler got close.  “I know this sounds absurd, but it is possible that locket has something to do with our appearance here,” she whispered.  “Her plea to it would roughly align with our arrival in this world.”

          “At this point I’ll buy anything.”  Paradise joined the conversation.  “Maybe if we save Megan, we’ll be sent home.”

          “I wouldn’t hang too much hope on it, but it is a strong coincidence that deserves some investigation,” Wind Whistler said.  “It is also our only lead right now.”

          “So, what do we do?” North Star asked.

          “We need to know more about the locket,” Wind Whistler answered.  She turned back to Daniel.  “Mr. Williams, can we borrow your wife’s locket for the night.  We have experts who study magical artifacts, and could possibly ascertain the presence and nature of any magical properties it contains.”

          “Huh?” Daniel grunted.

          “We might be able to figure out what magic it has, which might explain why the harpies want it and abducted your daughter,” Wind Whistler clarified.

          “Oh,” Daniel replied.  “Go ahead and take it.”

          “But, Dad, what about Megan?” Danny asked.

          “They’re not going to give her back without a fight,” Daniel said.  He winced and rubbed his head.  “The locket is probably safer with them anyway.”

          “We’ll treat it as precious as life itself,” North Star declared.  “We’ll also do everything we can to save your daughter.”

          Molly jumped up.  “Then my prayers were answered.”

          “And hopefully ours will be too,” Paradise whispered to Wind Whistler.

          “That’s assuming we can actually get her back from those things,” Wind Whistler whispered back, feeling that sense of dread coming back.  Forget the harpies coming for them; they would be going to the harpies.

* * *

          Alecta sat on her simple throne of rock overlooking the old great hall.  Iron torches held flickering flames that sent orange light dancing across the stone walls.  The stronghold was little more than a network of rough tunnels carved into the volcanic rock, an artifact of the time and haste in which it was constructed.  Even the great hall’s ceiling and walls were rough and the entrances irregular.

          A thousand years ago, it was the staging area for the harpies’ ill-fated invasion of Boreas.  She imagined the armies of harpies that had to be sharpening their primitive spears and polishing shields and leather armor and helmets in this very hall in preparation of invading Boreas.  What a sight that had to have been especially when riled up by a final speech before battle.  Even if they did not find what come for, the mighty dynasty of the Valkyrie Queens still fell to their might—a testament to harpy supremacy over the ground-bound races.

          Harpies once again occupied the old fortress, though it was only her small band of fifteen now.  Instead of spears and shields, they carried longbows and quivers loaded with arrows.  Alecta typically felt powerful sitting on the throne her ancestor and namesake did so long ago, but she was instead waiting and felt like everything was out of her talons.

          She ran the back of her finger down the back of Thanatos perched on a stand next to her.  The condor chirred and stretched out under her gentle stroke.

          “This is the worst part, my pet,” Alecta said.  “Victory is within reach, but we must wait and trust in Omega Desdemona.  Hopefully she will feel the thirst for glory and rise above her lowly station.”

          The smell of cooked beef wafted into the room, tickling Alecta’s nostrils with its savory aroma.  It was soon followed by four harpies carrying a full, cooked cow on a massive platter.  They set the platter down on a table and joined the others in digging their talons into the brown flesh and pull chunks of it out to drop on plates.  Juices flowed where the bovine was pierced and the scent became stronger.

          Bernice placed a few large chunks on a plate and carried it with both hands up to the throne.  She held up the plate and knelt to bring one knee to the ground.  “For you, Alecta: our Glorious Alpha.”

          Alecta took the plate.  “Thank you.  You may rise and join your sisters.”

          Bernice stood up and gave a final bow of the head before turning away and taking up a plate to fill it.

          Alecta picked up a chunk of beef and bit into the juicy flesh.  Cow was a succulent but rare treat.  They were easy enough to take down with arrows or even talons, but dragging such a large animal away was too much work for every meal.  Only special occasions warranted the trouble, and accomplishing what their ancestors had not a millennium ago seemed as special as they came.

          She held up a small piece to Thanatos and he snapped it up and swallowed it down.  “You need to learn to enjoy a meal as rare and savory as this,” she said.  “Though, we might be able to have beef and other luxuries more often very soon.”

          Her Beta, Frona, filled a plate and set it next to Gergo sitting on his stone.  The wingless male had his legs crossed in front of him and his featherless arms folded against his chest.  His normal eyes were closed as his third eye stared forward blankly.  Alecta had never fully understood the mental powers of the males beyond basic descriptions of the abilities they used.  His mind was not with them, but out beyond these walls monitoring the local area.

          He closed his eye and opened his normal eyes.  “Omega Desdemona is approaching,” he said without a hint of passion and stared forward blankly.  “She does not have the locket.”

          “What?!”  Alecta bolted up in her chair.  She threw her plate down and clenched her talons into fists.

          “This is what we get for trusting this to the Omega,” Frona murmured but loud enough to be heard.

          “Still your tongue, Beta Frona, or I do it will for you!” Alecta snarled.

          Desdemona sulked in, holding herself in a slouch.  Her quiver was still loaded with arrows, but her longbow was missing.  She was also unmarked.

          Alecta felt her body tighten as her rage built.  If Desdemona had been seriously injured or fought to exhaustion, she could accept failure.  However, coming back empty-taloned and still healthy and loaded was an act of intolerable cowardice.  Her anger seethed, but she was able to tamp it down and put on a grin.

          “Omega Desdemona,” she said clearly, causing the young harpy to jump, “I see you’ve returned.  Do you have the locket?”

          Desdemona shot a glance to Gergo, knowing everyone already knew.  “No, Glorious Alpha.”

          Alecta forced a sigh.  “Desdemona, Desdemona, Desdemona.  You were sent on a simple but vital mission to take a locket from one farmer, and you failed.  Not only that, but your longbow is gone and it looks like you barely got an arrow off.”  She held the gold ‘α’ hanging from her choker, the sign of her leadership, so its glint hit Desdemona.  “This was not only your chance to finally bring your position as Omega into question, but be a hero to harpykind and a part of historic glory.  Yet, you only succeeded in cementing that letter’s place on your chest.”

          Desdemona gripped the top of her dress, the embroidered ‘Ω’ remaining stiff.  “It wasn’t my fault, Glorious Alpha,” she pleaded.  “He didn’t come alone.  There were these flying ponies that—”

          “Quiet!” Alecta boomed and sat down in her throne.  “Your simpering is upsetting Thanatos.”  She stroked his throat.  She puckered her lips to him.  “We don’t like whining, do we?”

          He lifted his head to better expose his throat and chirred.

          “Flying ponies?” Melinda asked before dissolving into a laughing fit.  “That’s the best one I heard yet.”  Others chuckled and laughed.

          “It true!”  Desdemona stamped her foot.  “There were three of them, and they took my longbow by coming at me from the sun.”

          Alecta held up her talon, and the laughing stopped.  “Even if it is true,” Alecta said sternly, glaring at Desdemona, “you are a harpy, the most highly evolved predator on Gaia.  We do not lose to diminutive grass-eaters, whether they fly or not!”

          “They’re very smart,” Desdemona said.

          “Clever prey is still prey,” Alecta stated.  “Never forget that, Omega.”

          “Yes, Glorious Alpha,” Desdemona whimpered.

          “I think we should take this as a sign that it’s time to just give up on this folly and just kill the girl now,” Frona said.  “Then we can sack to our hearts’ content until the rings dim with the equinox.”

          Some murmurs came from the others.

          Alecta stood up and sauntered down to where Frona was sitting.  Frona was her Beta and second in command.  Her choker held a silver “β” to show that, and had personally put it around her neck.  She was a capable warrior and team leader, something Alecta needed in the harpy directly below her.  It was the only reason she tolerated her occasional quips and questioning of her orders.  However, even she was not allowed this level of open insubordination.

          Alecta threw as much force as she could into backhanding Frona square in the cheek.  She was knocked clear off her seat and sat on the ground stunned.

          Before she could recover, Alecta grabbed her by her dress and pulled her up to face.  “We didn’t come up to this icy tumor of a landmass to rob and pillage.”  She threw Frona to the ground.

          She turned to the others.  “My family spent centuries uncovering the Valkyrie Queen’s ruse and hunting down her bloodline.  We’ve waited generations for this opportunity.  The mother is dead and the daughter is not yet of age.  We have a window to use her to find the Bifröst.  That is what our ancestors came to this frigid, godsforsaken latitude for, and we can finally finish what they started.”

          Frona climbed back into her seat.  “She’ll come of age soon, and then her and the locket together would be trouble.”

          “She doesn’t come of age until the night Selene Micro is new.”  She pointed the clock on the wall.  Along with hands and numerals for minutes and hours, it had two hands representing the two moons and moon phases with the new moon over ‘ιβ’.  The hand for the smaller moon, emblazoned with ‘σ’, has not yet reached ‘ια’.  “That’s four nights from now.  If we still don’t have the locket by then, I’ll tear her throat out myself.”  She presented her talons which would go through that tender, human flesh as easily as air.  “However, I will not throw all this away just because you’re impatient.”

          She slapped Melinda and Bernice’s shoulders.  “If we were just going to rob and pillage, there are much fatter prizes to be had back home.”  She pushed off them.  “This is not just about this summer’s exploits.  This is about harnessing the ultimate power in the world.”

          She turned to her band.  “The Bifröst lets you go anywhere on the planet instantly.”  She ripped a large chunk out of the cow and squeezed it so its hot juices ran down her fingers and wrist.  “Taking a cow won’t mean dragging its carcass for kilometers and up to our strongholds.  We can appear right in the treasure vaults of the most heavily guarded castles.”  She licked a trail of juice running down her wrist.  It was a taste that all too rarely reached even her tongue.  “If some stories are to be believed, we could even travel to other worlds besides ours and reap their riches.  With that kind of power, nothing will be out of our reach.”

          Several of the others nodded.  Alecta glanced to Frona holding her head down and smirked.  “Since one Omega can’t take the locket, I’m sending three of you out at first light.”  She returned to her chair and dropped the beef on her plate.  “We tried to trick it away from that farmer, but this time the gloves are off.  We’re taking it and our 

          The others erupted into squawks and cheers, pounding the stone table with their fists.  Alecta leaned back in her throne, soaking in the moment.  She turned to Thanatos and patted his head.  He chirred as she stroked his back.  “That’s right, my pet.  And if Desdemona’s little, flying ponies try to interfere this time—well— _they’ll_ be the ones decorating tomorrow’s dinner table.”


	4. "Home" Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pegasi return the castle with their news as well as the six new ponies from the desert of crystal plants. Blueflower decides Wind Whistler needs a friend and one just happens to run into her.

          Magic Star looked to the northwest and the orange sun hanging just above the mountains.  She expected it to just suddenly dip out of view like in Equestria when Celestia lowered their sun to end the day, plunging them immediately into a starry night.  However, _this_ sun just slowly but steadily sank towards the horizon.  She began to think no one had governance over its movements or the movements of the two moons for that matter.  Both of them were later compared to the sun today than they were yesterday, and while the smaller was even slimmer today, the larger was finally appearing in the sky and seemed fatter.

          She was getting worried as the last minutes of daylight ticked away and there was still no sign of any of the pegasus teams.  There was no telling what was out there, and that gnawing feeling they could have sent those young mares to their deaths grew stronger as the sun got closer to disappearing. 

          “You don’t wear worry well,” Blueflower said in a calm voice.

          “I don’t know how you can’t be worried,” Magic Star said.  “They were supposed to return before dark.”

          “It’s not dark yet,” Blueflower replied.  “You need to have a little faith in them.”

          “It’s not them that have me worried,” Magic Star said.  “It’s this world.  It feels odd, like nothing works as it should.”

          Magic Star had a sense for magic, something that proved useful for finding and studying the magical artifacts she was so fond of.  They were much like a large boulder in the bed of a swift flowing river, disrupting the natural flow of magic.  She was so sensitive to magic, that she did not realize she was constantly sensing it until she found herself here.

          Equestria was rich in magic, every living being from ponies to rabbits to trees were overflowing with it.  That was why ponies needed to take care of everything, because nature’s magic needed to be constantly kept tame.  However, the plants of this valley seemed devoid of magic, and if they found any animals she suspected the same would be true of them.  If fact, while they were finding plants exactly like those in Equestria, there were none of the plants defined by their magical properties.

          There was magic in this world—this particular fjord seeming to have a strong magical signal—but it was different.  If she could touch them and describe how they felt, Equestria’s magic was like a sheet of fine silk laid out neatly over the land while this world’s was like an uneven bed of needles coming from deep under its surface.

          The world itself seemed untrustworthy, familiar in some ways and completely alien in others.  Just a peaceful valley was enough to send a chill down her spine, and the pegasi had gone past that to possibly even more hostile terrain.

          “You’re assuming Equestria is how things should work,” Majesty said.  “We’re in a different world, and it’s arrogant presumption to assume it must follow the same rules.”

          “We have incoming!” Bow-Tie yelled from the east perimeter wall before Magic Star could respond.  “It’s Firefly’s group from the northeast.”

          “Thank Celestia,” Magic Star sighed in relief.  At least some of them made it back.

          “We’re far beyond her providence,” Blueflower commented.

          Blueflower disappeared in a shower of blue sparkles and reappeared in the front courtyard in a similar fashion.  Magic Star mentally instructed her wand to transform and took it in her mouth.  She thought of being down in the courtyard, and the world dissolved away in a shower of purple sparkles to emerge again with her standing next to Blueflower.  She let go of her wand and it returned to a hairpin before taking its normal place.

          The three pegasi spiraled down and landed in the thick grass.  Firefly stepped forward.  “Well, the main fi-yord is big.  It’s kilometers wide and goes at least two hundred inland.  Many of the branches are pretty big too.”

          “Anything else?” Blueflower asked.

          “We saw several communities along the shores, some of them pretty respectable cities,” Skydancer answered.  “Nothing Manehattan-sized but the largest might be home to a million.”

          “I also think we know why this fjord is uninhabited,” Medley added.  “When we reached the mouth, it’s lined with rocks.  Some of them poke up through the water, but most lie just below the surface.”

          “Making it almost impossible for a boat to get through,” Magic Star finished the train of thought.

          Medley nodded.

          “And yet someone built a huge castle here,” Magic Star thought out loud.

          “Castles were originally built to protect things,” Blueflower said.  “This would be the perfect place hide something of value”—she paused—“or perhaps what was being protected dictated the castle’s location.”

          “That underground chamber?” Magic Star asked.

          “I doubt the entrance being hidden was done for aesthetics,” Blueflower said.

          “What about the cloud?” Medley asked.

          “Cloud?” Magic Star asked.  “What kind of cloud?”

          “Just your ordinary fair weather cumulus cloud,” Firefly said. “Or at least we thought.  We were getting kind of tired and were looking to rest out of sight.  I saw a comfy-looking cloud and thought it would be a nice spot to sit and look around.  Well, it ended up being a lot higher and a lot bigger than I thought, and when I went to rest on it, I fell right through like it wasn’t even there.  I just got wet for my troubles.”

          “But pegasi live on clouds,” Magic Star said.

          “In Equestria,” Medley said.  “The clouds we make have magical properties woven into them to make them solid for winged creatures.  Apparently, the clouds here don’t have that.”

          Moondancer appeared in a shower of blue sparkles.  “Heart Throb’s team is coming!  Only it looks like it’s tripled in size.”

          “How would they get three times as big?” Magic Star asked.

          Moondancer stared at Magic Star like pure idiocy had just escaped her lips.  “I mean there are _nine_ ponies approaching.”  Magic Star realized her assumption was pure idiocy.  “The new ones look like crystal ponies if the shimmer off them is any indication.”

          “So, more ponies showed up here?” Magic Star asked Blueflower.

          “It would appear so,” Blueflower replied.  “Would you lower the draw bridge for our returning pegasi and their new companions?”

          Magic Star walked up to the motorized winch and pulled the lever down.  The winch let out chain along with the other on the opposite side of the walkway to keep them balanced.  The drawbridge slowly lowered and reached the opposite bank of the stream.

          “They’re coming up the south side of the castle,” Moondancer said.

          Heart Throb, Lofty, and Surprise flew in with two new pegasi.  Two earth ponies and two unicorns galloped across the drawbridge shortly afterward.  Even in the low light, their crystal coats and manes shimmered and sparkled.

          “I said we would make it back before dark,” Lofty said to the pink, crystal unicorn.

          “I must admit, I had my doubt in that last mountain pass,” the unicorn replied, catching her breath with the others.

          “Look who we brought home!” Surprise cheered.

          “I see,” Blueflower said.  “Who might you be?”

          “I’m Galaxy,” the pink unicorn said, getting her breathing back to normal.  “Your scouting team invited us to stay in your castle.”

          “You’re certainly welcome to stay,” Blueflower replied.

          “Awesome, I’m going to find a bedroom and lay down until dinner’s ready.  I hope you have something good planned because I’m really hungry.  Though, I’m so hungry I’ll eat just about anything as long as it’s edible of course,” the pink Pegasus said so fast the words almost muddled together.

          “Sweetie and I can help in your kitchen,” the white earth pony said, drawing the pale blue earth pony into an embrace before she knew what was happening.

          “Cupcake could use the extra hooves,” Blueflower said.  She motioned to the doors into the foyer.  “Please, make yourselves at home.”

          “This castle is beautiful,” the green unicorn said as they walked passed.

          “I wonder why it’s in the middle of nowhere,” the yellow pegasus commented.

          Magic Star watched as the crystal ponies and the six pegasi disappeared into the castle.  “That just leaves North Star’s group.”

          “Then we’re all present and accounted for because here they come!”  Bow-Tie pointed west.

          The three pegasi looped in and landed.  North Star had what looked like a giant longbow slung over her body so it wouldn’t interfere with her wings, and Wind Whistler had a red, heart-shaped charm on a strap around her neck.

          “You can go in, you two!”  Blueflower summoned her magic and pulled the lever on the winch up.  The motor of the winch came to life, whirring as it drew in the chain and pulled the drawbridge back up against the opening.  Bow-Tie disappeared into the southeast tower and Moondancer trotted into the foyer.

          “Those are some interesting trinkets,” Blueflower said.  “How did you come about them by just observing?”

          “Please forgive us, but we violated your orders to avoid contact,” Wind Whistler said.  “However, we did encounter two sapient races and learned much about this world.”

          “Then come inside and we can discuss this in my office after some dinner.”  Blueflower turned to the door.

          Magic Star stopped and looked to the walls around them.

          “What’s on your mind now?” Blue flower asked at the threshold.

          “I was just thinking of one time I went shark diving,” Magic Star answered.  “They put you in a cage of metal mesh so you can watch the sharks while being protected.  Being in this castle reminds me of that cage.”

* * *

          The upper floors of the keep were where the castle was at its most luxurious.  The bedchambers would easily hold eight of the servants’ quarters, but that included the high ceilings in that calculation.  The second to top floor—where Blueflower had turned one of general purpose rooms into an office—had floor to ceiling windows facing east.  Blueflower took Galaxy in first, likely wanting to know more about these new ponies and what they had discovered since arriving.  Wind Whistler sat there and waited with North Star and Paradise, taking in the view from through the windows.

          Wind Whistler watched as the light gradually faded, and the last orange glow off the tops of the mountains lifted up until everything was in shadow.  The sun never accelerated to dip below the horizon, instead just maintaining a steady speed as it disappeared.  There was still a glow to the sky as light blue became salmon.  A deep pink band followed by a deep bluish-purple band rose up from the eastern horizon, something she had never seen when Celestia lowered the sun.  Perhaps because she lowered the sun so quickly the processes she was witnessing went by faster than anyone could tell.

          It had been at least a half hour before Galaxy and Blueflower emerged.  They were apparently finishing a conversation about astronomy as Blueflower said she would join her in watching the stars come out.

          North Star and Paradise’s times with her were shorter and they simply left, but North Star hung her head lower when she finally emerged and without the longbow.  No doubt she had to answer for making contact against their instructions.

          “Come in, Wind Whistler,” Blueflower said as Paradise stepped out.

          Wind Whistler entered the room which had two sofas around a long table in the center and a large, oak desk near the opposite wall.  Blueflower sat in a large chair behind the desk.  The longbow leaned against the wall next to the door, almost reaching the top of the jam even on an angle.  The chandelier above and the lamp on the desk provided the only light as the windows to the outside had gone dark with just the black outlines of the castle’s towers the distant mountains under a purplish-blue sky.

          “Please have a seat, Wind Whistler.”  Blueflower motioned to a much simpler chair in front of the desk.

          Wind Whistler sat on the chair which was designed more for bipeds like the humans.  However, she managed to get into a position where her body was comfortable.

          Blueflower leaned forward.  “Now, tell me, what did you find to the west?”

          “North Star and Paradise have probably told you everything already,” Wind Whistler replied.

          Blueflower nodded.  “They have, but the two seem to have a pension for embellishment.  You, however, strike me as a pony more interested in the facts.  So, give me the facts.”

          Wind Whistler gave her debriefing.  She described the non-sapient horses, the humans including what Daniel had told them, and the harpy.  Blueflower nodded, not asking much as Wind Whistler was as thorough as she could be.  She showed her the locket and explained how it was at the center of whatever conflict there was here.

          “Why did you bring the locket back here?” Blueflower asked to interrupt Wind Whistler for the first time.

          “Magic Star knows magical artifacts,” Wind Whistler answered.  “I thought she could divine what if any magical properties this locket might have.  Knowing that, we could perhaps determine the motivation for the harpies abducting his daughter.”

          Blueflower leaned back in her chair.  “What concern do we have if it does?”

          “It could be the reason we are here,” Wind Whistler said.  “The youngest child said she prayed for it to save her sister at approximately the same time we appeared here.  That is a very strong correlation, stronger than any other lead we have at the moment.  Saving the eldest child might be the key to returning to Equestria.”

          Blueflower lowered her brow.  “So, you think we should help this Daniel Williams and his family out of self-interest?”

          Wind Whistler was taken aback at Blueflower’s summary of her plans.  “I did not mean to sound so cold.  While I do feel for them, I—”

          She needed to stop and think of how she wanted word this.  “We’ve only seen this world through a pinprick.  We don’t know everything about this situation, and while I side with the humans more than the harpies on an emotional level, I cannot completely justify that preference logically.”

          “Not every judgment needs to be completely logical.”  Blueflower leaned forward.  “Logic doesn’t necessarily inform moral decisions.”

          “I know,” Wind Whistler replied.  “But, how do we know what is objectively moral in this situation?  We have no understanding of the context.”

          “Allow me to worry about that.”  Blueflower threw herself back in her chart to make it lean and support her body more.  “I’m the leader, not you.  Though, I believe you’re over-thinking everything.”

          Wind Whistler rubbed her front leg with the inside of her other.  “I have been accused of that frequently.”

          “I can imagine,” Blueflower said.  “Can I ask you about something, Wind Whistler?”

          “I suppose,” Wind Whistler said meekly.

          “Are you the kind of pony who doesn’t socialize with others?”  Blueflower asked.  “I picture you keeping to yourself in the lunch room like you were going to do at dinner last night.  You go straight from home to work to home or wherever you absolutely have to go without diversion.  That’s assuming you have a job, because you have a hard time holding one down despite your intelligence and ability.  You have very few friends if any.  Ponies fear you because you seem cold and unapproachable.  We might even catch a murmur about your asocial tendencies, and how you don’t understand the ‘magic of friendship’.”

          Wind Whistler felt her skin prickle as Blueflower had basically written her biography.  “Yes.  I’m…not normal.  That’s how the counselors put it.  I’m very intelligent and can absorb facts readily, but interacting with others is very hard.  It’s like everyone else can read minds and they expect me to as well.  There is some context that escapes me, and others make the wrong assumptions from me even if I did not mean it.  Coworkers are scared of me, thinking I’m dangerous for some reason.”  She frowned.  “Ponies can just be so illogical for reasons I don’t understand, and they get mad at me for not understanding.”

          “It must be hard,” Blueflower said.

          Wind Whistler frowned.  “I don’t understand why socializing is so important.  I’m smart and capable.  So what if I don’t feel like being social if I’m getting the job done?”

          “Socializing has been an important tool of our kind since the earliest protoponies galloped across the plains,” Blueflower said.  “‘Strength in numbers’ is the credo of our race.  A pony who doesn’t want to be a part of the crowd is seen as odd, and odd might be dangerous and therefore feared.”

          “That is an irrational line of thinking,” Wind Whistler said.  “Think of the talent that is turned away because of it.”

          “Well, it’s not a concern of ours now.  Equestria is impossibly far away for the moment,” Blueflower replied.  “However, if you think your life was hard in Equestria, it’s going to be even harder here.  It’s possible to be alone in a crowd of a thousand, but we’re now thirty-seven ponies living in one castle.  You cannot even attempt to live anonymously here.  Some of the ponies are already building friendships, and—for the sake of your sanity—I suggest you follow suit.”

          “I feel like you’re asking me to learn to breathe water,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Then you might as well start growing gills now.”  Bleuflower glanced at a clock.  “It’s getting late.  We can discuss this more tomorrow when our minds are fresh.  You’re dismissed, Wind Whistler.”

          Wind Whistler bowed her head.  “Yes, Blueflower.”

          She opened the door and stepped out.  “Watch out?” a voice screamed, but it was too late.  Something large struck her from the side and knocked her clear off her hooves.”

          After the initial shock wore off, Wind Whistler looked to the mass now laying on her.  It was a unicorn with a green, shimmering coat and a large, pink bow in her curly mane of white, a couple shades of pink, and green.  The pony looked down to her with eyes like cut rubies.

          She leapt off Wind Whistler.  “Oh!  I’m so sorry!  I wasn’t looking where I was going, and you suddenly stepped out!  Oh!  Please don’t be mad!”

          Wind Whistler got her hooves under her and slowly rose to stand.  “It was an accident with no malicious intent behind it.  I am shocked, but not enraged.”

          “That’s good,” the unicorn said.  “When I mess up like this, ponies get mad and call me Airhead and Bubble Brain a lot of them time.”

          “That is not very nice or called for,” Wind Whistler replied.

          The unicorn bent her mouth up in a big grin Wind Whistler figured some would call sunny.  “You’re really nice.”

          ‘Nice’ was not an adjective Wind Whistler had been called often.  Though she always tried to be courteous, ponies seemed to ignore her gestures.  “Well, I just don’t let my emotions get the best of me.”  Typically, it was her lack of emotional expression that turned ponies off her.  Though, not being shown anger was probably welcome in this particular case.

          “You sound really smart,” the unicorn said.  “I wish I was smart.  Then I wouldn’t screw up and ponies wouldn’t be mad at me.”

          “It’s not the silver bullet you think it is,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “Well, I’m Fizzy,” the unicorn said.  “Who are you?”

          “Wind Whistler,” Wind Whistler answered.

          Fizzy giggled.  “That’s a cute name.  Do you want to be friends?”

          Wind Whistler—because of some impulse that only made sense in the most primitive recesses of her brain with no logical explanation—turned to Bluelfower sitting at the desk.  She balanced her chin on the outside of her pasterns and stared on with a knowing expression.  _She set this up,_ Wind Whistler thought.  _I don’t know how, but she did._

          A sudden pain shot through Wind Whistler’s body.

          “Are you all right?” Fizzy asked.

          Wind Whistler drew in a breath as every muscle related to flight screamed at the same time.  “I’ve just been on my wings all day, and it’s caught up with me.”

          “How about I give you a massage?” Fizzy asked.  “It’s the least I can do for running into you.”

          “I’ll manage.”  Wind Whistler tried to open her wing, but it sent an intense wave of pain through her.  “Do you even know how to massage a pegasus?  Our musculature is radically different than those of other pony subspecies”

          “I had a pegasus roommate, and we would massage each other,” Fizzy said.  “Please, let me help you.”

          Wind Whistler tried to open her other wing, but it protested just as much.  “It seems I could use assistance in recovering from today’s exertion.”

          “Then let’s go.  There’s a place right over here that’s perfect.”  Fizzy pranced towards the staircase at the other end of the hall.

* * *

          Grooming and massage was an important facet of pony society.  Even the smallest towns had a fully functional grooming parlor or spa, where ponies would have their manes and coats trimmed and conditioned, their hoofs trimmed and buffed, and their muscles massaged.  Pony bodies were too powerful for their own good, and heavy exertion led to muscle fatigue and pain that had to be massaged away.

          A new trend was also to go back to the traditional method of mutual grooming.  Ponies would groom each other as a sign of companionship whether familial, platonic, or some more intimate.  Granted, Wind Whistler had never asked such a private question, but Fizzy was the first pony she had met who had practiced mutual grooming.

          Fizzy led Wind Whistler to a room that connected the floor with Majesty’s off to the floor below.  It had a sloped floor with benches facing a platform in front of large blackboards.  As far as Wind Whistler could tell, it was some kind of briefing room.  An odd choice, but it was doubtful anyone would intrude on them here.

          Fizzy took her down to the lower floor entrance so they could stand on the platform and have plenty of room.  Wind Whistler inhaled and exhaled.  She did not like being touched by others, even squirming out of a hug from a loved one.  A strange pony making intense physical contact with some of the most sensitive areas of her body needed some mental preparation.

          “Are you okay?” Fizzy asked.

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler said. “I am as ready as I will ever be for you to begin.”

          “Okay.  Let’s start with your wings.”  Fizzy grabbed Wind Whistler’s right wing and pulled on it.  Wind Whistler winced at the pain but braced herself so Fizzy could pull.  She opened her wing, and Wind Whistler suddenly felt a rush of euphoria.

          Spending so much time flying—especially the frantic climb to get away from the harpy—had torn her flight muscles slightly.  It was the case of any exercise and how muscles grow.  By stretching, the muscles rebuilt tissue length-wise, remaining thin and not bulking up.  Also, by stretching and massaging, the aches from it could be soothed with gentle stimulation.  However, her muscles needed to be opened up to maximize their exposure.

          Fizzy moved to the other wing.  Again, it was painful until the wing was fully opened and then felt good.

          “How does that feel?” Fizzy asked.

          “A slight improvement,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “Great!”

          Fizzy inspected the primaries of Wind Whistler’s open wing, wiggling a couple.  Before wings were massaged, they had to be preened and any damaged or loose feathers needed to be removed.  However, both wings were in perfect shape, Wind Whistler having preened them in the morning in preparation for the flight.  Fortunately, no others had become loose or broken despite the entire day on the wing.

          Fizzy moved to the massage, spreading a cloth over the right wing and mouthing the outer most muscles.  She applied just enough pressure to gently rub her teeth on the muscle to massage it.  Wind Whistler suppressed the urge to shudder in disgust.  She found the use of the mouth to be a particularly unbecoming attribute of mutual grooming.  It was mostly for pegasus wings which were too delicate for hooves—and they did not have the preferred tools like texture balls—so she just sat there and bore it.  At least Fizzy had grabbed a cloth so she was not bringing her mouth into direct contact with her wing.  This was more out of concern for Fizzy because her wings had been touched by those horses among other particulates and her own perspiration.  Hopefully she did not intend to mouth groom her coat too.

          Although disgusting, the mouth massage was effective as her tight muscles loosened from the stimulation.  She started with the muscles outside the elbow joint and then moved to the biceps and triceps.  Once one wing was done, Fizzy pulled on her wing, bracing herself on Wind Whistler’s side for more leverage.  With the muscles loosened, her wing could stretch out more.  Fizzy pulled a few times to the full extent, each time feeling euphoric.

          Fizzy then spread the cloth on the other wing and copied the process.  Once she released after the final pull, Wind Whistler let the wing go and it spread out to lie from her side.

          “How’s that?” Fizzy asked.

          Wind Whistler raised her wings and flexed them.  The wings themselves felt wonderful, but her core muscles still complained.  “Better.”

          Wind Whistler held her wings up to give Fizzy access to the joints where they merged with her barrel.  She was a tad nervous about this part, because that part of her body was particularly ticklish.  Sure enough, Fizzy touching her hoof to her side caused her to close her wing and back away from the odd nervous response.  She managed to stifle a giggle.

          Fizzy giggled instead.  “Are you ticklish under there?”

          Wind Whistler cleared her throat.  “Please do not tell anyone else.”

          Fizzy gave her a sincere grin.  “Don’t worry.  You’re secret’s safe with me.”

          Fizzy tried again, and Wind Whistler braced herself.  A few giggles managed to make it out as Fizzy massaged where her supracoracoideus and avial pectorialis emerged and connected to her avial humerus.  These sections of her core flight muscles bore the lion’s share of the strain, so they needed a deep massage.  She paid special attention to the second set of shoulder blades the supracoracoideus were slung over like a rope over a pulley.

          Fizzy finally finished on both sides and could move to the bulk of the flight muscles in Wind Whistler’s prominent chest.  Her chest in fact held three layers of muscles over her powerful heart and large lungs.  Her traditional pectorialis major, avial pectorialis major, and supracoracoideus were layered one on top of another and attached to her large and heavy sternum.  Fizzy pushed into her chest hard to make sure the pressure reached all the way in.  She kneaded outward, not missing a square millimeter and going over the muscle group multiple times.

          Being this close to Fizzy, Wind Whistler realized she was noticeably younger than the other ponies.  She was just past that vague threshold between filly and mare.  Such a young pony working on her flight muscles should have concerned Wind Whistler, but Fizzy seemed well-rehearsed on how to treat each muscle.  _And ponies call her an airhead and bubble brain?_ she thought.  _They just don’t give her enough of a chance._  Ironically what she felt about how she was treated with her social skills and lack of emotional expression.

          Wind Whistler had also picked up her scent.  Ponies’ ability to detect pheromones was a vestigial sense, their cavity for the organ that processed them being much smaller than in fossils of their evolutionary ancestors.  They identified more by sight with eyes geared towards discerning colors on the detection end and the vibrant spectrum of their coats and manes as well as the symbol—still called a ‘cutie mark’ by some traditionalists—decorating her haunches on the display end.  A pony would be hard pressed to notice the pheromones of others in passing.  However, being this close to a pony for this long allowed her to pick up Fizzy’s pheromones which reminded her of a root beer float.  Fitting since her symbol was a collection of pink float glasses with large heads of white foam and pink straws.

          Fizzy finally finished and stepped back.  She exhaled and wiped some sweat from her brow.  “How does it feel now?”

          Wind Whistler raised and lowered her wings and folded them and unfolded them.  Not only was there no pain, but her wings had not felt this relaxed and refreshed in years.  She tended to avoid even grooming parlors and would stretch her wings and core muscles herself with weights.  However, it never made her wings feel this good.

          “They’re in excellent condition,” Wind Whistler answered.  “Thank you.”

          “What are friends for?” Fizzy asked.

          Wind Whistler paused at that thought.  Fizzy stood there with a wide, sincere grin.  She must have honestly thought of Wind Whistler as a friend or potential friend.  Wind Whistler felt the odd sensation that it was right.  It was hard to explain, but she liked Fizzy and looked forward to spending more time with her.  Maybe it was out of curiosity regarding her more optimistic attitude or something else.  Perhaps, just going with it, this was what it felt to meet someone you wanted to form a genuine friendship with.

          “What are friends for?” Wind Whistler repeated.  “I am not nearly as well trained as you in mutual grooming, so I’m afraid I cannot return the favor.”

          Fizzy flicked her hoof.  “That’s no problem.  I can teach you if you want.  Just consider this making up for running into you.”

          Wind Whistler gave her wings one more flex before folding them against her sides.  “This has more than made up for that.”

          “So, what’s next?” Fizzy asked.  “Maybe we could do something with your mane covering your eye.”

          Wind Whistler thought of that field of pink haze.  Her forelock had always falling over her eyes, and attempts to wear it shorter had never looked good on her.  The headband she wore was to keep the body of her mane back, the times she tried to hold her forelock back with it felt like it was being constantly pulled and more of a distraction than it falling over her eye.  “My mane is not a significant obstruction.”  She then added.  “But the suggestion is appreciated.”

          “Okay,” Fizzy said.  “To tell you the truth, I think it makes you look beautiful.”

          Wind Whistler felt her cheeks flush.  That was not a compliment she had been given very often either, especially by another mare.

          She suddenly felt an urge to yawn and gave into it to draw in more oxygen.  Now that her body did not feel like it was tied up in knots, the general fatigue from exertion was letting itself be known.

          They exited through the door leading onto the upper floor with its large windows facing east.  Wind Whistler had spent the previous evening looking for a room to sleep in and subsequently sleeping in it, so she had not watched the evolution of the evening sky.  After all the excitement, sitting there and watching things unfold would be a good way to calm her nerves and help her sleep more soundly.

          The sun was long gone, and the sky was the black of pine tar, not deep purple like the night sky of Equestria.  The rings were a ghostly gray, and larger of the moons was rising high in the sky and noticeably fatter than when she first saw it the previous afternoon.

          The fatigue was pushed back by curiosity at this unusual sky.  She ran over and pulled down the switches to close off the crystals and plunge the hallway into darkness.  Her eyes adjusted after a couple seconds, and she could see many more stars, especially away from the rings in the northern side of the sky.

          “Taking in the night sky?” a voice asked.

          Wind Whistler turned back and saw Galaxy step into the moonlight, her coat shimmering in the silver light coming in from the window.  “Did you see the blue band just after the sun went down?”

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler said.

          “That was the shadow of this world,” Galaxy said.  “Night here is being in its shadow, and it and day constantly move around it.”

          “Tell her about how the stars spin,” Fizzy said.

          Galaxy nodded and stepped up to the windows.  “I periodically looked at the stars over the course of last night.  The stars rotated around a focal point.  The larger moon, Luna Major, followed them.  While stars towards the focal point spun around it, most rose towards the east and set towards the west just like the sun.”  She turned back to them.  “I think the sun of this world is fixed, and it is it spinning that causes the cycle of day and night.”

          “The moons seem to move independently from the sun,” Wind Whistler said.  “Their phases seem to be changing, waning as they approach the same region of the sky as the sun and waxing as they depart.”

          “The moons appear to be moving around this world, and their light is actually light reflected from the sun like the rings which are still illuminated.  Though, I expected the world’s shadow to fall on them but they somehow escape it,” Galaxy said.  “The change in Luna Major also seems to be more dramatic than Luna Minor, though I will have to observe an entire cycle of both to determine the length of their phases.  I also think this world is traveling around the sun, but I need to watch the stars more to be sure.”

          “Did you see green auroras last night?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Galaxy nodded.  “I did see them.  They are much different from the auroras of the Crystal Empire, much higher in the atmosphere and far larger.”

          Wind Whistler looked outside.  There was no sign of the aurora tonight.  “I wonder what caused it.”

          “Unfortunately, I do not have an answer for that,” Galaxy said.  “What I’m concerned about at the moment are the constellations.”

          “Constellations?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Galaxy nodded.  “The stars are the exact same as Equestria except the rotation brought more stars into view over the course of the night.  I identified many constellations visible during the mid-spring early in the evening and ones that would not be out until the cusp of autumn were rising just before the sun rose.  I even used the edge of the plow to find the North Star which was at the center of the rotation.”

          Wind Whistler lowered her brow.  “How is that possible?” she asked.  “Constellations are a two-dimensional interpretation of a three-dimensional star field.  They should be unique to a particular coordinate.  If we’re circling a star somewhere else, how could the constellations be the same?”

          “I don’t know,” Galaxy said.  “I will continue my observations over how long we are here to see if the later fall, winter, and early spring constellations appear.  That could confirm our world is circling.

          “Then there are the bright stars that are not a part of Equestria’s sky,” Galaxy said.  “They also seem to move independent of the other stars as the one that appeared this even was out of place slightly.  I will have to monitor them as well.”

          Wind Whistler felt the return of fatigue.  “We can think about it more tomorrow.  It’s been a long day.”

          “You said it,” Fizzy said.  “All this stars and spinning stuff is making _my_ head spin.  At least you’re going to be busy, Galaxy.”

          Galaxy nodded.  “Good night.”  She stepped away, back into the darkness.

* * *

          Wind Whistler and Fizzy made their way to the ground floor and towards the servants’ quarters Wind Whistler had claimed.  Fizzy had yet to find a room and there were plenty still vacant in the northwest building.  Just as they reached the spur, Magic Star called out from behind them, “Hey!”

          Wind Whistler turned back to her.  “Beg your pardon?”

          “You’re still up, good,” Magic Star said.  “Could you go down into the underground chamber real quick?  Twilight Mist went down there after lunch to investigate it, but hasn’t come back up.”

          “We were just headed for bed, but I suppose we can take a momentary diversion,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “Thanks,” Magic Star said.  “I suggest you be careful, though.  Twilight Mist seems a bit…off.”

          “We’ll take that under advisement.”  Wind Whistler turned down the spur and stopped in front of the fake panel.

          She pointed to the sconce in the column.  “That fixture is the switch to a secret panel.  Pull it down.”  She then remembered. “Please.”

          “Ooh, a secret panel.”  Fizzy summoned a pink aura around her horn and a similar one surrounded the sconce and pulled it away.  The panel pulled back and slid away.

          It took almost a minute, but the doors opened with the sound of a chime.  Wind Whistler stepped into the elevator, followed by Fizzy.

          “What’s below us?” Fizzy asked as she stepped in.

          “A chamber with a defunct machine of some kind,” Wind Whistler said.  She struck the button and the doors closed.

          They started to descend.

          “That’s a pretty locket,” Fizzy said.  “Where did you get it?”

          “We barrowed it from a farmer on the other side of the mountains,” Wind Whistler answered.  “It belonged to his late wife, and it was what the harpy was after.”  She looked down at the locket.  “They claimed it was magic.”

          She then remembered she wanted to give it to Magic Star to study.  That could wait until morning when her mind was fresh.

          “Magic lockets and secret chambers,” Fizzy said, staring off into space.  “It sounds like the stuff of a great adventure.”

          The elevator slowed and eventually stopped.  As the doors opened, a cloud of pinkish-purple mist rolled in and hung around their legs.

          “What’s this?”  Fizzy picked up her legs and flicked at the mist.

          “I don’t know,” Wind Whistler said.  The mist seemed to have no feeling of temperature change or moisture to it.  “It wasn’t here the last time I visited.”

          The stepped outside into an even thicker cloud of mist.  There was a slight current to it, moving from the center to the edges where it circled as swirled as the walls kept it from spreading further.  Wind Whistler looked to the vents wondering if it was coming from the surface but the vents were neither emitting nor extracting the mist.

          The source of the mist was the chair in front of the panes of glass.  It cascaded down from behind its tall back to join the rest.  As Wind Whistler cautiously approached, she noticed it was a pony sitting there.  However, she was translucent, objects being visible through her.

          She was a lean unicorn with a light pink coat and a streak of dark purple running through her otherwise white mane and tail.  Wind Whistler took a second to remember her name was Twilight Mist, which seemed rather apt given the present situation.  Her eyes were closed and her lips were ever so slightly parted.

          This was the pony Magic Star had mentioned, but Wind Whistler was not exactly sure how to get her attention politely.  She settled for clearing her throat and saying softly, “Twilight Mist?”

          Twilight Mist’s purple eyes opened, but she merely slid them to the side to focus on Wind Whistler without turning her head.

          “Not to intrude,” Wind Whistler said, “but is this mist your doing?”

          “Sorry,” Twilight Mist said, her voice sounding ethereal and like it came from all around them.  The mist quickly drew back towards her, and her form became solid.  Now solid, Wind Whistler could see how lean she was.  She was not malnourished or emaciated, but she could just make out of the outline of her ribcage in her barrel.

          Twilight Mist swiveled the chair to face Wind Whistler.  “I have a tendency to _spread out_ when I’m deep in thought,” she said with her voice no longer ethereal and definitely coming from her mouth, but still cold and distant.

          _I hope that’s not how I sound to other ponies,_ Wind Whistler thought.

          “You mean that mist was you?!” Fizzy yelped.  “Ew!  I think I breathed some of it in!”

          Twilight Mist swung the chair to face Fizzy.  Fizzy instantly shrank back, making herself appear as small as possible.  “Why are you two down here?” Twilight Mist snapped.  She swiveled back around to Wind Whistler, giving her soul-piercing glare.  “I came down here because I wanted to get away from the rest of you ponies.”

          Wind Whistler tightened her brow.  “We were sent down here to retrieve you.  You were supposed to be investigating this machine somehow, not ducking away.”

          She noticed a thin mattress, pillow, sheet and blanket neatly folded in the corner.  “You were planning to stay down here.”

          Twilight Mist clapped mockingly.  “Give the filly a prize.”

          “But the castle has so many bedrooms,” Fizzy said.  “You can have your privacy up there.”

          “Because it’s not just privacy,” Twilight Mist said, “it’s distance.”

          She leaned back. “Back in Equestria, I was drifter, traveling the land with no destination in particular.  I liked the solitude and feeling of being removed from everyone else.  My magical powers make me acutely aware of…things that can be like a flash flood around so many ponies.  However, in the empty places, I can find peace and detect things most ponies never notice.”

          “Then why don’t you leave?” Wind Whistler asked.  “No one is compelling you to remain here.”

          “I stay because I face a problematic reality,” Twilight Mist replied.  She sat forward.  “Whether I like you ponies or not, staying with you is my best chance of surviving in this world.  Back in Equestria, I still had the benefit of its civilization and infrastructure even when avoiding the towns as much as possible.  Here, it’s just this castle with everything else completely unknown.  As much as I hate to admit it, I’m stuck with you.”

          She turned back to Fizzy, but she was gone.  Wind Whistler looked down and saw Fizzy was looking at a column.

          “Hey, those ruins we stayed in had columns just like these,” Fizzy said.  “They even had same suns and moons.  It’s just they were made of stone—” she tapped the column “—and these are metal.”

          “I was trying to sense the history of this place,” Twilight Mist grumbled.

          “You can’t sense history,” Wind Whistler said.

          Twilight Mist’s mouth bent up into a smirk.  “Not the history per say, but there are psychic imprints left on things by those who use them.  Their thoughts, hopes, and dreams leave an image of them.  Wishes are perhaps the strongest, when our minds are at their powerful.  We imbue them onto where we live, what we use, and even who we meet.  They are the proverbial footprints we all leave, and a very few can sense them like me.”

          “Are you saying wishes have power?” Wind Whistler asked.  Then she thought of the girl’s wish on the locket.

          “A penny for your thoughts,” Twilight Mist said, balancing her chin on her hoof.

          “A wish might be what brought us here,” Wind Whistler said.

          She turned to the machine.  The locket suddenly pulled at her neck and pointed to the panel.  An oddly bare area of the panel lifted up to reveal a lens.

          Fizzy appeared in a shower of pink.  “What’s wrong, Wind Whistler?”

          “I don’t know.”  Wind Whistler strained against the locket.  “It’s like it’s come to life.”

          The locket pulled harder and light pulsed through the seam.  It suddenly burst open and a beam of light and color so brilliant it bathed the entire chamber in its blinding glow blasted from it.  It streamed into the lens for a second or two before retreating into the locket.

          The locket slammed shut, hanging from Wind Whistler’s neck like any ordinary trinket.  It took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust to the dimmer light again.  The lens collapsed back into the panel and the controls began to glow from blue backlighting.  The panels of glass also filled with diagrams and text in that runic language.  The tunnel in the wall also changed as lamps built into the rings illuminated.

          The two most striking diagrams was a series of concentric circles divided into wedges by spokes superimposed over a map and one of a tube that flared at either end.  The display with the map and circles also had blank boxes near it with a straight line blinking on and off near the left side of the first one.

          “What was that?” Fizzy asked.

          “I don’t know.”  Twilight Mist looked at the panel, “but, it turned this infernal machine on.”  She leaned back and bent her mouth into a frown.  “So much for this place being a sanctuary from ponies.  You’ll be poking and prodding around to figure out what this thing is.”

          Wind Whistler looked at the diagrams.  The text was the same runes as those labeling the controls.  It was absolute gibberish to her, a bunch of symbols with no meaning.  However, the diagrams were more telling.  They reminded her of diagrams in books about theoretical physics and testimonials on unicorn magic with regards to teleportation.

          She looked into the tunnel that suddenly terminated.  Its construction made more sense if it was meant to be one side of a teleportation tube of some kind.

          “What do you think it does?” Fizzy asked.

          “This is just an assumption based on a very limited understanding,” Wind Whistler said, “but I believe this world just became more open to us.”


	5. The Bifrost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wind Whistler and some of the ponies go back to the Williams' ranch to return locket using the newly activated device. However, the harpies have also returned.

          Wind Whistler opened her eyes and picked up her head from the pillow.  She was expecting her bedroom to greet her, but it was instead the ceiling of light in the underground chamber.  She remembered she was too tired to go back up to the surface, so she used Twilight’s bedding instead.

          She sat up and looked to Twilight Mist sitting in the chair and staring at the screens.

          “How did you sleep?” Twilight Mist asked, not bothering to turn around to face her.

          Wind Whistler pushed off the covers and rolled from the mattress to the floor.  “Well enough.  Thank you for letting me use your bedding.”

          “Don’t mention it,” Twilight Mist said. 

          “Did you sleep at all last night?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Twilight Mist shrugged.  “I’m a night owl.  Another one of the reasons I wanted to be well removed from all of you.  I don’t disturb you, you don’t disturb me.”

          Wind Whistler paid little mind to the comment.  Ponies were typically diurnal, but some preferred to be active night.  It was no concern of hers.

          Their look into the machine was more important anyway.  “Did you find out anything?”

          “Still can’t make heads or tails of the language,” Twilight Mist said.  “Fortunately, the numbering system is simple enough.”

          Wind Whistler remembered that row of keys.  The vertical line had smaller branches coming off the side each representing a value of one and a triangle representing five.  There were no keys for ten, 50, 100, 500, or 1,000 like the Equestrian numbering system.

          “The numbering system seems to be a composite between a positional digit system and a tally system like ours,” Twilight Mist said. “The rightmost symbol is zero and used to represent positions with no value.”

          “That’s what I figured,” Wind Whistler said at the same time she had to yawn.

          “This means they can deal with numbers far larger than our numbering system with ease,” Twilight Mist said.

          “That makes some things fall into place,” Wind Whistler said.  She stretched.

          “They were the only keys that could type something into those boxes next to the map and they seemed to change at random sometimes,” Twilight Mist said. 

          “Since we’ve confirmed the keys are numbers, perhaps they will make sense.”  Wind Whistler said.  “Type ‘nine hundred’ in the first box.”

          Twilight Mist summoned two clouds of mist around her horn, and they took a shape similar to the claws of a dragon with fingers and a thumb.  The hands of mist descended onto the keyboard and tapped the nine key once before the zero twice.  The symbols appeared in the box, pushing the flashing line to the right.

          “I also discovered what a couple of the other keys do.”  Twilight Mist tapped another key on the left side of the keyboard.  The flashing line went to the box to the right of the first, and the value in the left box went from ‘900’ to ‘180’.  The line going from the center of the map straight down became brighter.

          “Now, try ninety-nine in this box,” Wind Whistler said.

          Twilight Mist did so and the value changed to ‘39’ when she moved the flashing line to the box underneath them.  The line on the map split with the brighter line slight to the right by a little more than half a degree.

          Knowing those symbols were digits, Wind Whistler better understood the diagram.  The labels around the outside of the outermost circle were angles in 45 degree increments and the labels running along the line going from the center straight up had to be distances.  There were four circles, and each was labeled in increments of 500 that stopped at ‘2000’.

          Wind Whistler thought she had this figured out.  “Type in some number bigger than two thousand in the last box.”

          Twilight Mist typed in ‘3125’.  This time, she struck a key on the right side.  The flashing line went back to the right of ‘180’ and the value in the last box became ‘2000’.  The bright line became a bright dot right on the edge of the outermost circle.  Lights on the large slider came on as well.

          “I think we just figured out how to use this thing,” Wind Whistler said.  She pointed to the slider.  “My guess is the large slider will activate it”—she then pointed to the dot on the map—“and the machine will create a connection to that point.”

          She looked away and noticed they were alone.  “Where’s Fizzy?”

          “She woke up a little before you did and went up to the get the others,” Twilight Mist said, not even trying to feign interest.

          “You seem even more standoffish this morning,” Wind Whistler said.  “Something wrong?”

          “While you two slept, I was able to work my magic on this thing a bit further,” Twilight Mist said.  “I don’t like it.  We should brick off the elevator and pretend we never found it.”

          “How could you think of bricking up such a discovery?” Wind Whistler asked.  “This could mean we have the ability to move freely anywhere within two thousand kilometers.  Earthbound ponies could travel to other locations and use their expertise to explore this world and make contact with its civilizations.  We could even find our way home thanks to it.”

          “Because of what was thought here,” Twilight Mist said.  “Conquerors walked here, and their dreams of glory were swiftly snuffed out.  This was a machine of war, and it brought ruin to those who wielded it.”

          That comment gave Wind Whistler pause.  The ability to travel anywhere instantly could be used as a weapon.  You could send an army right past the defenses of another kingdom and strike at its heart.  Why send an army even?  A large bomb or a canister of poison gas would do just as well.  However, this machine was simply a tool and the good or ill consequences of its use were completely up to the user.

          “We’re not conquerors,” Wind Whistler replied.  “We’re just curious.”

          “For now,” Twilight Mist said.  “Who’s to say how long we are here.  We could end up building a new civilization, and new civilizations looking to expand tend to look past their borders with ravenous eyes no matter how virtuous their original founders were.”

          “Aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves?” Wind Whistler asked rhetorically.  “We’re all mares here, so it’s not like we would last past the current generation.”

          Twilight Mist shrugged.  “Lofty found those ponies from the Crystal Empire.  Who knows how many ponies actually came here and if there are stallions among them.”

          Wind Whistler had to give Twilight Mist that one.  She turned her attention the screen.  “But even if we do build a new pony civilization here, I remember my history teacher once told us, ‘Never let fear of the future keep you from it.’”

          “And ‘those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,’” Twilight Mist added.

          “Which is why we learn,” Wind Whistler said.  “Aren’t we supposed to be better than those who came before us?”

          Twilight Mist remained silent for a second.  “Supposedly.”

          “You’re awfully well spoken for a simple drifter,” Wind Whistler said.

          “I’m also a consumer of information,” Twilight Mist said.  “In my travels I’ve accumulated the knowledge of the different tribes and nationalities of ponies as well as griffons, dragons, you name it.”

          Wind Whistler felt a little jealous.  She had spent hours at the library reading about Equestria and its neighbor’s culture and academia, Twilight Mist was able to get it from the source.

          “Something all too common in both myth and history is how power corrupts.  We cannot deny is this machine gives the user incredible power over those within its reach,” Twilight Mist said.  “Even if _we_ don’t use it for evil, there are plenty out there who would.”

          Wind Whistler instantly thought to the harpies.  They must have known of the locket’s connection to this machine.  That is why they would want it so badly.

          The chime of the elevator sounded and its doors opened for Fizzy to trot out of it with Blueflower, Magic Star, and Galaxy following her.

          Magic Star yawned.  “Is there any reason you had to wake us up so early?”

          “I’m sorry,” Fizzy said.  “I didn’t know it was that early, and I was just so excited.”

          “It’s perfectly fine, my little pony,” Blueflower said.  “It sounds like you’ve made quite the discovery.”

          “We think the machine is used to instantly access other geographical points,” Wind Whistler said.

          “You mean like how unicorns can wink out one place and back in another?” Magic Star asked.

          As a limited form of teleportation became a common unicorn magic, it came to be known as ‘winking’ rather to differentiate it from the more complicated teleportation spells used by experts.  Winking had a limited range and could not be done through any object a pony could not pass through normally—whether solid or even mesh—but let them cross gaps too far to jump or just move more quickly than on hoof.  That little factoid help Wind Whistler wake up her mind.

          Galaxy looked at the diagram of the tube with flared ends.  “Though, it appears to be a sustained tube of folded space rather than an instantaneous pocket like winking.  And obviously it isn’t as short ranged or stopped by solid objects.”

          “Then anyone can travel outside the valley,” Magic Star said, suddenly more alert upon hearing this.

          “Have you tested this?” Bueflower asked.

          “No,” Wind Whistler answered.  “We wanted to wait until morning so we can have ponies at the other end.”

          “Well, it’s getting light now,” Fizzy said.  “I can go find more ponies to go outside.”

          “Have them go east about a kilometer from the castle,” Twilight Mist said, not bothering to turn to Fizzy.  “If something appears, we want them to take some nearby object and throw it in.”

          “You got it!”  Fizzy ran back to the elevator and got in just before the doors closed.

          “Sounds like a rather primitive way to test it,” Magic Star commented.

          “Would you rather use a pony?” Twilight Mist asked, again not bothering to turn around.

          “Point taken,” Magic Star replied.

          “So, how does this thing work?” Blueflower asked as she looked at the readouts spread over the panes.

          “That circular thing is a map with us in the middle.”  Twilight Mist pointed to the display of circles.  She typed in a set of coordinates.  “We type in an angle, which in this case will be ninety degrees and zero minutes, and distance, which will be one kilometer.”

          The dot hopped around as she made the changes until it was just right of center.  “That little dot is our target.  We’ll give them a few minutes to get their act together and out there.”

          “I bet a lot of ponies would like to get out of this valley,” Magic Star mused aloud.  “Cupcake wants some real ingredients other than grass and flowers, Buttons found some sewing equipment and wants fabric and thread, and Truly has been nagging for medical supplies.”

          “Looks like we’ll be using this mechanism often if it is functional and safe,” Wind Whistler whispered to Twilight Mist.

          “I’ve become accustom to disappointment,” Twilight Mist replied.  “Just remember, if this all comes back to bite us in the tails, it was _I_ who warned you first.”

          “I’m sure you will make certain we never forget,” Wind Whistler said.  “Think we’ve given them enough time?”

          “Probably.”  Twilight gripped the slider with her mist hand.  “So, we just pull back, and let her rip?”

          “Seems like it.”

          “Then here goes nothing.”  Twilight Mist pulled back on the slider.

          Whirring came from the tunnel and the inside of the rings started glowing from the end of the tunnel to the mouth.  A flash brought a swirling vortex of light and color into existence, contained by the rings.  It was just red of yellow, but the red was diminishing and the green was increasing with time.  The harsh light from it filled the chamber, easily drowning out the soft light of the ceiling above.

          A small object appeared from the end of the tunnel and bounced a couple times on the ramp before coming to rest on it.

          Magic Star broke the silence beyond the gentle purr of the machine.  “That was anti-climatic.”

          “At least it works,” Blueflower said.  “Now, did it come out safely?”

          Wind Whistler glided down and landed at the mouth of the tunnel.  The vortex was now transitioning between green and cyan, apparently cycling through the spectrum like a rainbow in time instead of space.  She thought of what Daniel had said about the Valkyrie Queens traveling anywhere instantly on a rainbow bridge.  This machine fit that description.

          As she stepped onto the ramp, she could feel a charge building in her mane and coat.  The stinging smell of ozone surrounded her, suggesting electromagnetism was at least a component of forming this.

          She reached the object which was a piece of dead bark.  It felt normal to the touch—no signs of heat or cold—with no signs of singeing or recent damage.  From the looks of it, the transition had no side effect on it.

          “How does it look?” Blueflower shouted.

          “It looks like it suffered no ill effects during passage.”  Wind Whistler tossed it back at the end of the bridge where the vortex appeared to suddenly come to a point and it disappeared.

          She noted that the vortex was once again past red and going back to yellow.  It cycled through the color wheel in about a minute as best as she could tell.  Her observations were cut short as something pink and electric blue appearing from the end of the vortex and flew past her.

          Firefly flew out of the tunnel and did a loop before landing.  “Now _that_ was a rush.”

          “ _That_ was extremely dangerous,” Wind Whistler corrected as she stepped out of the tunnel.  “What if the vortex was a vacuum between the exit points, or the buildup of static electricity caused a fatal discharge, or—”

          “Danger?” Firefly scoffed, cutting Wind Whistler off.  “Danger is my life!”  She did a back flip.  “Besides, now you know it’s safe for ponies.”

          “She has you there, Wind Whistler,” Blueflower said.  “Now, go get whoever went out with you and bring them through.”

          Firefly saluted.  “You got it, boss.”  She flew into the tunnel and disappeared.

          Wind Whistler fluttered back up to the control panel.  She noticed a new box had appeared with two numerical values separated by a ‘:’ decreasing in value.  “When did that count down appear?”

          “When we activated the thing,” Twilight Mist said.  “Apparently, it will only remain open for five minutes.”

          Firefly came out of the tunnel with Medley and Fizzy.  “It’s great Wind Whistler!”  Fizzy skipped from the mouth.  “It’s like walking through a tunnel of rainbow!”

          “Does it have to remain open for five minutes?” Blueflower asked.

          “I don’t think so.”  Twilight Mist pushed the slider forward.

          The purr of the machine wound down the vortex faded.  The displays and backlighting of the panel turned red, and a large box appeared on the pane with the map displaying a countdown starting at ‘30:00’.  Twilight tapped at the number keys, but nothing happened.

          “What happened?” Magic Star asked.  “Did you break it?”

          “No.  Looks like it has to recharge for a half hour after it’s been used.”  Twilight Mist tried pulling on the slider, but it stayed in place.  “We just have to wait until then.”

          “Still, ponies can use it to travel,” Blueflower said.  She turned to Wind Whistler.  “I think we’ve discovered the secret to your farmer’s locket, and you may return it.  In fact, you can use our new device, and I think several ponies are chomping at the proverbial bit for a chance to see your humans as well.”

          “Perhaps we should wait until an hour or so after sunrise,” Galaxy said.  “Dawn and dusk come later the further west you are in this world.”

          “Then I guess we should go up and see who wants to go.”  Blueflower walked towards the elevator.  “Come along, everyone.”

* * *

          Fizzy watched Cupcake’s face open into beaming smile as she told her about the tunnel thing under them.  “That’s perfect!” Cupcake cheered.

          “It is pretty great,” Fizzy agreed.

          “I mean, I can finally go out and get real ingredients for cooking and baking.”  Cupcake glanced at the piles of grass and flowers and bent her mouth into an exaggerated frown.  “No more weed salads and twisted grass pasta.  I could even get fresh produce, dairy, and eggs.  I thought I would never see those again.”

          “So, are you coming?” Fizzy asked.

          “Most definitely.”  Cupcake turned back to Sweetie and Gingerbread trying to make grass and flowers look presentable on plates.  “Can you two cover morning scullery and lunch on your own?”

          “You can count on us!” Gingerbread chirped.

          “Well, they’ll be leaving after breakfast,” Fizzy said.

          “Save a seat for me,” Cupcake said, and then paused to think.  “Does this thing even have seats?”

          “Uh…I didn’t see any,” Fizzy replied.

          “Well, I’ll be going, that’s all that matters.”

          Fizzy left the kitchen and headed to where Truly had made a makeshift infirmary.  She noticed something out of the corner of her eye that was quite vibrant.  She turned and the vibrant pink earth pony—Shady was what popped in her head—was looking at her from around the corner.

          Fizzy turned around.  “Hi there!  I’m Fizzy!”

          Shady flinched and disappeared from view.

          “Wait!” Fizzy shouted after her.  “Don’t run away!”

          She ran to the corner, but Shady was gone.  “Was it something I said?”

* * *

          The doors slid open and Wind Whistler gazed in the room directly under the control panel.  Although much of the chambers dimensions were exaggerated, this was quite an efficient use of space.  It was a storage area of some kind with wires and cables of different sizes and colors hanging in loops, parabolic dishes held in trays like flatware in a dishwasher, other things, and a row of black lockers against one wall.

          Wind Whistler opened the locker and pulled out the canvas bag hanging inside it.  The bag was bulging and heavy with something hard in it, and a cord led from it to a headset consisting of a black band with a microphone on an arm and two earpieces on cords.

          It was surprising to see fabric like this in such good condition despite it being unattended for however long it had been down here.  Though, if the environment had been kept sterile until they entered it, there would be no microbes to breakdown the threads and the temperature and moisture levels would have been constant at this depth.

          She slung the bag over her back and left the room, the doors sliding shut behind her.

          “It’s a storage compartment for what looks like communication equipment.”  Wind Whistler held up the bag.  “I think this is a personal radio set.”

          “That’s nice,” Twilight Mist replied from the control panel, but clearly not paying as much attention.

          Wind Whistler came to the top of the stairs to see North Star standing over Twilight Mist sitting in the chair.

          “That’s where the horse ranch is,” North Star said, pointing at the map and practically inserting Twilight Mist’s muzzle in her leg pit.  Wind Whistler suppressed an urge to grin at the twisted look of absolute disgust on her face.

          “Bearing two seven five mark eighteen, distance forty-seven kilometers.”

          Twilight Mist pushed North Star back so she had to stand on all four hooves.  “Are you sure?”

          “Am I sure?” North Star asked loudly.  “I have the best sense of direction of any pony you’ll meet.  It’s so precise they use _me_ to make sure compasses are right.”

          “Right.”  Twilight Mist leaned back.  “Just know the farther out you go, the less accurate the destination point is.  So, don’t be surprised if you come out in the next farm.”

          She looked to Wind Whistler.  “What were you saying?”

          Wind Whistler turned to show the radio.  “I believe I found a personal radio set in the compartment below us.  It might communicate with the machine.”

          Wind Whistler looked at the bag someway to activate the radio.  There was a relatively small, metal lever sticking out of a metal-lined hole beside some knobs.  She carefully flicked it up with the tip of her hoof and looked to the panes.  One of them changed to display a bar, a traditional longitudinal and latitudinal map, and some numerical values.  The side of the large button on the panel also glowed blue as well as smaller key.

          Wind Whistler slid the headset onto her head and said, “Does it work?” into the microphone.  There was no reaction from the machine.  She then remembered the microphone of a radio had to be switched on to work to prevent feedback.  She felt where the microphone’s arm connected to the headset and it depressed.  She held it down and said, “How about this?”  This time it came from speakers in the panel, the line in the uppermost bar became wavy for the time she was speaking.

          She put in the earpieces as best she could.  “Try it on you end.”

          Twilight Mist glanced to the larger and smaller buttons that illuminated.  She held down the smaller.  “Can you hear this?”  Her voice came through the earpieces.

          “Well, it looks like, or should I say sounds like, we can communicate,” Wind Whistler said.

          “The machine also appears to track the radio’s location,” North Star said.  She looked to the larger button.  “I wonder what that one does.  It lit up when Wind Whistler turned on the radio.”

          Twilight Mist turned back to the ponies down there.  Paradise, Bow-Tie and Posey had already come down.  They were still waiting on Cupcake, Truly, Buttons, and Sparkler.  “Since we have time, I guess we can try.  I doubt it will blow us up.”

          Twilight Mist pressed the button and the circular display and three boxes where the target coordinates went changed to the grid and displayed three rows of boxes, the first two rows having three boxes and the third having one.  A dot appeared right at the center.

          “What just happened?” North Star asked.

          “I think it just went to longitude and latitude down the tenth of a second as well as gained elevation,” Twilight Mist said.  “So, we’re about a hundred meters below sea level down here.”

          “What would cause that?” North Star said.  “Wait!”  She looked to the display that came up with the radio.  “I think it locked onto the radio.”

          The numbers of both displays matched perfectly.

          “Then hitting the button again would—” Twilight Mist pressed the large button and the old circular display returned with the angle and distance she had typed in.

          “Odd that it has the ability to understand longitude and latitude, but uses such a crude targeting system normally,” North Star mused.

          “About as odd as building your control panel with an empty space to the side?” Twilight Mist replied.

          The chime sounded and the last four ponies walked out of the elevator.  “Are we ready to go?” Buttons asked.

          “We’ve been ready,” Twilight Mist said.  “Go down to the tunnel and be ready for the light show.”

          The nine gathered at the mouth of the tunnel.  The machine whirred up and the lights of the rings came on.  The vortex formed only it started from deep blue.

          “So, we just walk up the ramp and pop out somewhere else?” Cupcake asked.

          “Basically,” Wind Whistler said.  “I could give the theoretical explanation, but I think we should just utilize it.”

          They ran up the ramp towards the wall.  As they reached it, the light and colors enveloped them, a tube of pure energy that somehow had form for them to gallop on.  A second later, the colors peeled away to reveal a dirt road, and Wind Whistler leapt from the vortex onto it.  She turned back and watched as the others emerged and leapt from it.

          Wind Whistler pressed the button for her microphone.  “We’re all through.”  She pulled her hoof away from the button.

          Twilight Mist said nothing, but the vortex collapsed in on itself until it disappeared completely.

          “So, this is it?” Truly asked.

          “This is it,” North Star answered.

          They were in the broad valley they had visited the day prior.  There were pastures and farmsteads with dirt roads dividing them.  There was a gray, dingy deck of stratus clouds on the western horizon, and the sun was low on the eastern horizon.  It was lower than would be expected for an hour after rising meaning Galaxy was right about the sun coming up later in the west.  Or rather, the world was constantly rotating and its surface was moving into and out of its shadow.

          Wind Whistler needed some time to get her bearings.  Suddenly appearing in a completely different location was a tad disorienting, especially since this was a different view of everything.  However, white farm house and barn were nearby.  She did not recognize it at first because of the view from the back, but there they were and the hodgepodge herd of horses was milling about in a nearby pasture.

          “The Williams’ home is over there.”  She pointed to it.

          They made their way around the perimeter of the pasture.  Polaris noticed them and ran to the edge of the fence.  She whinnied and nodded her head.

          “Top of the morning to you, Polaris,” North Star said.  “Though, I do wonder what that name means.”

          Polaris snorted.

          They went around the house to the front porch.  The windows of the house were dark, but there was light coming from the windows of the barn.  Daniel stepped out of the main doorway.  “Good morning.  I didn’t expect you back this soon.”

          “Good morning, Mr. Williams,” Wind Whistler replied.  “How’s your cranial injury?”

          Daniel had a bandage tied around his head.  “I got a nasty bump, but I woke up remembering who I was.  I would say I’m fine.”

          “Well, we said we would return the locket when discovered its properties,” Wind Whistler said.

          Danny popped his head out from the barn’s doorway.  “So you know what it does?”

          Wind Whistler nodded.

          “We’re also here to learn more about your culture,” Cupcake said.  “Like your local delicacies.”

          “Umm…” Posey trailed off.  “What are those?”

          Wind Whistler and the others spun around to Posey pointing to the south southeast.  Three long and narrow objects where just above the horizon and coming towards them.  They occasionally bent, suggesting large wings.  She felt her heart step up its pace and a chill go down her spine.  “Trouble.”

          “It’s the harpies!” Paradise shrieked.  “They’re back too!”

          Wind Whistler pushed the button on her microphone.  “Twilight Mist, are you still there?”

          _“Where else would I be?”_ Twilight Mist’s voice came from the earpieces.

          “The machine takes a half hour to recharge, right?” Wind Whistler said, trying to keep the panic from her voice as the objects drew closer.  “Any way to speed that up?”

          _“I can’t tell without knowing the language,”_ Twilight Mist answered.  _“Why?”_

          “Because our adversary from yesterday is approaching with a couple of friends and very quickly.  I estimate maybe five minutes before their arrival,” Wind Whistler said.

          _“Unfortunately I can’t help you with that,”_ Twilight Mist said.  _“Try to avoid them for the next twenty-eight minutes.  I’ll get you back as soon as this thing is ready.”_

          “Easier said than done.  Wind Whistler out.”  Wind Whistler watched as the objects grew nearer and their silhouettes gained the familiar features of harpies.

          “Maybe we can run from them,” Paradise suggested.  “They’re so far out, they might not see us.”

          “If they’re like birds of prey, they have extremely keen senses of eyesight especially when it comes to distance,” Wind Whistler said.  “They already know we’re here.”

          “Then we’ll hide,” Daniel said.  “Everyone into the storm cellar!”

          They clambered to a pair of wooden, cellar doors behind the house.  Daniel pulled them open and they filed down the stairs into the basement under the house.  Daniel came in last, closed the door, and slid a heavy beam of wood into holders.

          Daniel pointed to a set of stairs.  “Lock the door into the house too.”

          Danny ran up the stairs and turned a deadbolt on the door.  “We should be safe now.”

          They waited, remaining silent.  Wind Whistler’s heart pounded and her mind raced.  Hiding was an unnatural state for ponies.  They were built to run and use quickness or foot or wing to escape or turn and fight if escape was made impossible.  However, neither would work against harpies with the advantages of flight and weapons.  If it had just been the pegasi, they could have used their maneuverability to evade them until the machine was ready.  However, they had earthbound ponies as well as the humans to worry about as well.  They would be easy targets for the harpies, and they were sure to use that against them.

          Their options were limited now, basically they could only wait and hope the heavy, wooden doors and beam were enough to thwart the harpies until the machine could recharge and they could make their escape.

          “How long?” she asked quietly into the microphone.

          _“A little less than twenty-four minutes,”_ Twilight Mist answered.

          Everyone jumped that three thumps outside.  Wind Whistler walked around to see out one of the small windows.  The feet of a harpy stood outside.  Even through the grunge on the glass, she could make out the long claw coming harp point as one of the talons flexed.

          She was once again reminded how far they were from Equestria.  There were no royal guards, alicorn princesses, Elements of Harmony, or Pillars of Light.  There was just them—a ragtag group of regular ponies—thrust into this unknown world with nothing but the contents of that castle and facing a species more dangerous than anything their kinds had ever faced.

          “I don’t see them.”  The voice was of the harpy they had met yesterday.

          “Use your eyes, Desdemona,” a more forceful voice said.  “They went down into the cellar.  Break it in.”

          The doors suddenly shuttered.  A loud bang came at them followed by another and another.  After the sixth impact, a plank cracked.

          Molly hid behind Daniel.  “They’re not going to hold!”

          “All we’ve done is trap ourselves,” Sparkler grumbled.

          “What do we do now, Wind Whistler?” Paradise asked.

          Wind Whistler went through their options.  She was almost scared out of mind as a trapped animal, but not completely.  She had to remain rational in this situation, and think of a way out.  Suppress the emotional reaction so that logic could lead her to the answer.

          There was that problem of being tied to the ground.  If only they could force the harpies into the same constraint.  “Is there any area of extensive cover near here?”  Her mind was drawing a blank of their general vicinity.

          “There’s some woods a kilometer or two northeast of here,” Daniel answered.  “Why?”

          “We need to vacate this cellar,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Are you crazy?” Paradise’s outburst was punctuated by a slam on the doors and the sound of wood cracking.

          “We stand a better chance against them where we have a chance to maneuver,” Wind Whistler explained.  “We just need to evade them until the machine is charged.”

          “They don’t seem to be in the house,” Daniel said.  “Hopefully their concentrating on the cellar door, so we can slip out the front.”

          Danny ran up and unlocked the door.  He pushed it open enough to look out.  “The coast is clear.”

          He stood aside as Wind Whistler climbed the stairs and into the kitchen of the house.  The basement door was under the stairway leading to the second floor, facing the back of the house.  Through the window, Wind Whistler could see the harpies pounding at the cellar doors.  The one with the symbol on her chest stood aside while the other two—with flame red and bright orange hair—slammed their balled fists into the wood.  While still unmistakably feminine, they were noticeably larger and more muscular than her.

          “You were right,” North Star whispered.  “They’re too focused on the cellar door.”

          “They might not even realize the cellar has an exit into the house proper,” Wind Whistler answered.  “Go to the front door quickly, but be quiet.”

          They quickly but quietly went around the stairway to the front door and pulled it open.  The harpies, in their assault on the cellar door, were oblivious to them slipping away.  The horses were whinnying and huddled in the far corner of the pasture as they made their way around the house.

          Wind Whistler peaked around the side at them still punching and kicking at the doors.  She retreated back to the porch.  “They’re still attacking the cellar.”

          “The woods are over there.”  Daniel pointed to a mass of trees on the other side of a pasture.  Their canopies were dense and their trunks were spaced well for ponies while being constricting to a creature the size of a harpy.

          “That should do nicely,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Hop aboard, love.”  North Star presented her side to Molly so she could climb on.  “Remember, hold on tight.”

          “I can carry you, Danny,” Wind Whistler said.

          She then looked to Daniel.  He was large and looked heavy.  He was definitely too heavy for a pegasus to carry, and she even doubted an earth pony could without being significantly encumbered.

          “I can carry him just fine,” Bow-Tie said.

          “You sure?” Daniel asked.

          “Don’t let the bows deceive you.”  Bow-Tie smirked.  “I hold the jumping records for my home town.  When I say I can carry you, I can carry you.”

          “All right.”  Daniel sat on her back gingerly.  Although she tried to hide it, Bow-Tie had to strain a bit to take on his weight.

          Danny got on Wind Whistler’s back.  Looking at those woods, she truly understood the phrase ‘so close yet so far’.”

          She walked and built into a trot, spreading her wings.  She was going to need more lift to get airborne with Danny on her back.  She accelerated to a gallop, flapping her wings.  The process of taking off was in slow motion, so she could feel herself getting lighter until finally her hooves left the ground.

* * *

          Frona slammed her foot into the door and finally shattered into a storm of splinters.  She looked to Desdemona who ducked into the small opening.

          After maybe a minute, she poked her head up.  “They’re gone.  There was a door into the farmhouse.”

          “What?”  Frona leapt to the roof of the house, crushing the shingles in her talons as it dug into the central beam.  Nine colorful ponies were headed towards woods nearby.  Three of them were airborne on feathered wings, two of which had the other juveniles on their backs.  The remaining six were on the ground, the one carrying the father falling behind.  Her body tensed, the beam popping and cracking in her tightening grip.

          She turned to Desdemona and Melinda.  “We’ve been tricked!  They’re headed for the woods!”

* * *

          Wind Whistler beat her wings as fast as they could, but it still seemed too slow.  Even more than yesterday, she felt hunted.  They couldn’t get under the cover of those trees soon enough.

          She pushed the button the headset.  “Time update.”

          _“Eighteen minutes,”_ Twilight Mist answered.

          “We’ve been spotted!” Paradise screamed.

          “What makes you say that?”  North Star was answered by a giant arrow streaking past her.  “Oh, that.”

          Wind Whistler looked back at the three harpies in a broad formation with their longbows in talon.  She turned back to the woods.  They just had a few dozen meters to go.

          She looked down to Bow-Tie several meters behind the others.  Despite her claims, she was being taxed by carrying Daniel.  The harpies seemed to notice as well as they aimed their neck volley downward.

          Wind Whistler spun around, forgetting she was carrying Danny and got him wrapping around her neck to keep from falling off.  “Bow-Tie, WATCH OUT!”

          The arrows rained down on her and Daniel.  The two larger harpies were also more accomplished archers than the smaller one.  There was not a wasted motion in taking an arrow from their quiver, placing it on the string, drawing back, and releasing.  Bow-Tie jumped every which way to avoid the deadly hail.

          Wind Whistler felt powerless.  Any advantage of maneuverability was gone with Danny on her back.  Even if she avoided the barrage of arrows that would answer her approach, she would have no chance in close combat.

          Sparkler suddenly appeared, and immediately released an explosion of brilliant sparks.  They surrounded the harpies and flashed, causing them to stop and shield their eyes.

          “I’ll hold them off!” Sparkler shouted.  “Get to the woods!”

          Wind Whistler turned back to the woods.  Finally, she glided under its branches and landed between its trunks.  North Star and Paradise landed and bled off their speed by galloping deeper into the woods.  Bow-Tie followed the others in, gasping for air.

          Daniel dismounted and placed his ear to her chest.  He then felt her chest and leg joints.  “How do you feel?”

          “Like I’ve been turned inside out,” Bow-Tie wheezed.

          “I don’t feel any permanent damage,” Daniel said.  “You’re just exhausted and should recover with some rest.”

          “That’s good to know.”  Bow-Tie turned to Wind Whistler.  “The next time I say I can do something, talk me out of it.”

          Sparkler appeared in a shower of sparkles.  “Now what?”

          “Split up and hide,” Wind Whistler said.  “We have about fifteen minutes before the machine will be ready.  The harpies can’t fly in here, and they’ll have a hard time working around the trees.”

          “Let’s just hope they don’t set the woods on fire,” Truly said.

          “You just had to mention that,” Cupcake replied.

          “Here they come.”  North Star pointed to the harpies approaching the perimeter on foot.  While they were frighteningly graceful on the wing, the harpies seemed unnatural walking.  At least pegasi were able to gallop across the land with little trouble.

          “Let’s go.”  Wind Whistler bounded deeper into the woods.  The others disappeared into the shadows.  Wind Whistler made a wide loop so she could keep an eye on the harpies as they entered the forest and shimmied between the trunks.

          Those stratus clouds spread across the sky above the canopy, muting the light even further.  A light rain began, pattering against the leaves and falling through the tiny gaps in the canopy.

          “I can’t really talk too much,” Wind Whistler said in a hushed voice.

          The harpy with the red hair stopped and slashed deep gouges in a trunk with no sign of difficulty.  “Tell me something, ponies,” she said in no particular direction.  “Where do you come from?  I’ve been across Pangaea, and never even heard of something remotely like you.”

          Wind Whistler stopped and hid behind a trunk.

          “And why are you helping these humans?” the harpy asked.

          “Time?” Wind Whistler whispered into her microphone.

          _“Ten minutes,”_ Twilight Mist answered. _“What’s going on over there?”_

          Wind Whistler thought about their predicament.  If they completely frustrated the harpies, they might try to light the woods on fire to smoke them out.  They needed to be given a lead.  “We’re helping Mr. Williams because you kidnapped his daughter.”

          She darted away several meters.  She hid behind another trunk, eyeing the harpy.

          “Maybe you can answer _this_ question,” Wind Whistler said before going up two meters.  “Why did you return to this land?  You already shattered it a thousand years ago after it had suffered for years.  Why menace a simple farmer and his family?”

          She darted to another hiding location.

          “They didn’t tell you the whole story,” the harpy said to where Wind Whistler had just been.  “The long winter when the sky was a sickly green and the sun was dim hit everywhere.  A massive volcano erupted, sending its ash and gases into the upper atmosphere.  They blocked out the sun, robbing the world of its light and warmth.

          “It was the Boreans who invaded us first.  They used their Bifröst to send their armies into the heart of our homeland and behind our defenses.”  She stalked through the woods as best as she could, but having to collapse her wings against her back and forcing herself through the narrower gaps.  “They stole crops and killed the farmers if they were so inclined.  They believed they had to right to leave us starving to end the famine in their empire.”

          Wind Whistler paused.  She remembered her conversation with Twilight Mist.  She had thought of just that strategy offhand.

          “I figured they would _forget_ to tell you that part of history,” the harpy said, slipping around Wind Whistler.  “The Boreans are a warrior people who fight amongst themselves in this frigid land.  The rust haired one, his people were originally brought to this valley as slaves.  I bet he neglected to mention that as well.”

          He had paused when he was explaining how his people came to live here.

          “He seems to be a free man,” Wind Whistler said.  “Cultures can evolve and grow beyond their past mistakes.”

          “Not the Boreans,” the harpy said as she made a wide circle.  “The Valkyrie Queens convinced them to unite, but they only turned their aggression outward for their personal benefit.”

          Wind Whistler backed out of the circle she felt was being made around her.  “I have no way to test the veracity of your statements.”  Wind Whistler then remembered her original question.  “However, if your original incursion was in retaliation, why come back now?”

          “You ask too many for your own good, pony,” the harpy snarled.

          Wind Whistler realized she had not moved from her spot, and the harpy was facing her.  She backed away to keep herself hidden by the trunk before weaving through more to a place of safety.

          “Why do you care anyway?” the harpy said.  “You’re kind wasn’t involved, and you shouldn’t be involved now.  Give us the locket, and we’ll leave you in peace.”

          “Like you would return the daughter for it?” Wind Whistler asked.  “Even if the Boreans are as terrible as you say, _you’ve_ done nothing to win our trust.”

          She weaved away from the harpy, but kept her eyes shifting from side to side for any sign of the other two or her companions.  What the harpy said invaded her thoughts.  Yes, there was no proof of what the harpy had said was true.  However, it all sounded logical.  Daniel’s explanations also seemed whitewashed in retrospect.

          She pushed the thoughts from her mind.  She needed to concentrate on the here and now, not what happened a thousand years ago.  The machine had to have recharged by now, or at least be close.

          “Are you ready, Twilight Mist?” Wind Whistler asked.

          _“We have about another minute to go,”_ Twilight Mist answered.

          “Then I need to collect the others,” Wind Whistler said.

          As cover, the woods were quite effective.  However, now that she had gone from being a hider to a seeker, they were as confounding to her as the harpies.  She dared not call out as the harpies would hear as well.

          _“We’re ready to go here,”_ Twilight Mist reported.

          “I have to find the others,” Wind Whistler replied.  “Wait for my signal.”

          Wind Whistler slowly collected the others.  Bow-Tie had recovered to some degree, just a bit sore from her overexertion.  They had to scurry for cover whenever they saw a harpy prowling through the woods.  Posey was the last, and they weaved towards the perimeter of the woods.

          “You said when you’re locked on my radio, you can target to within a tenth of a second of a degree, right?” Wind Whistler asked Twilight Mist.

          _“It looks like it,”_ Twilight Mist answered.  _“That means I can put the portal within a few meters of you.”_

          “Good,” Wind Whistler said.  “Once we’re in the clear, I want to escape through it quickly so the harpies don’t have a chance to notice.”

          The tangle of trees began to show gaps as they approached the perimeter.  Wind Whistler allowed herself to relax as they were almost to safety.  A snap of a twig caught her attention.  She turned to see the harpy with the orange hair looming over them.  All of the tenseness and alert returned to the point it hurt.

          She could see just how large this one was, standing at two and half meters at least.  She swiped at them, and snagged Danny by his shirt.  She exhaled a cackle as she held him.

          “I’ve found all of them!” she shouted back into the woods.  She then eyed Wind Whistler with yellow eyes that ripped straight through you.  “They have the locket with them too!”

          Wind Whistler’s mind went to the speed of light.  She processed the entire world in a blink of an eye.  The harpy threw Danny to the ground, and she realized what the primary target was.

          “Get to the edge!” Wind Whistler shouted.  “She wants me!”

          “We aren’t leaving you,” Buttons insisted.

          Wind Whistler jumped to avoid a swipe by the harpy.  “Go, NOW!”

          “Come on.”  Daniel herded them away.

          “Give me the locket,” the harpy snarled.  She swiped at Wind Whistler again, tearing down a branch.

          Wind Whistler jumped from trunk to trunk to avoid the harpy.  The trunks slowed her, but not enough.  If Wind Whistler tried to get to the edge, she would be followed for sure.  She needed something defeat the harpy or at least stun her long enough to put some distance between them.

          A branch suddenly hit her in the underbelly and threw her back.  She saw the harpy preparing her talons to strike.  She twisted her body to leap from a branch to avoid her reach.  The branches of these trees were able to absorb and release tension easily.

          The harpy turned and leapt for her.  Wind Whistler grabbed a branch at the right height, and let it absorb her momentum.  The harpy was off the ground, unable to do anything but continue forward.  As the branch took the last of Wind Whistler’s kinetic energy into its potential energy, she let it go.

          The branch snapped back and struck the harpy right at the level of the eyes.  She flew back against a nearby trunk, striking it head first.  The tree shuddered, dropping a shower of rain-soaked leaves.  The harpy slumped against the trunk, apparently knocked unconscious.  Wind Whistler was not about to approach to confirm this.

          Wind Whistler weaved through the trees back to the edge of the woods.  “What happened?” Paradise asked as she came under the shower of rain.

          “I stunned her,” Wind Whistler answered.  She pushed the button on her headset.  “Open the portal at our present location.”

          A colorful vortex swirled into existence a few meters from them.

          “Well I’ll be—”  Wind Whistler interrupted Daniel by shoving him towards the vortex.

          “You can marvel at it later.”  Wind Whistler gave him on last shove.  “Just get in.”

          Wind Whistler looked back at the woods for any sign of movement.  There was none, at least none within view.  She waited until everyone else was through and gave one last glance towards the woods.  She then leapt into the tunnel of light and galloped until she was galloping out of the mouth into the underground chamber.

          “Close it!” she shouted.

          The machinery whirred down and the vortex collapsed to nothing.  After the last color faded, and the chamber returned to the soft light of the ceiling above, she finally allowed the tension in her muscles to release.

          “Where are we?” Daniel asked.

          “You’re under our castle, almost fifty kilometers from where we were,” North Star answered.

          Daniel spun on his heels back to the tunnel.  “Fifty kilometers?”

          “I told you the rainbow bridge was real,” Molly teased Danny.

          That reminded Wind Whistler of the comments the red-haired harpy had made while she was avoiding her.  “Mr. Williams, while we were in the forest, one of the harpies conversed with me.”

          Daniel turned to her.  “What did she say?”

          “She told us the Boreans did not send envoys of diplomacy to their land, but an invading army,” Wind Whistler said.  “She claimed Boreas is a land of violence, including your kind originally being imported as slaves.  Is this true?”

          Daniel removed his hat.  “The term was thrall, but the meaning was the same.  However, when the Borean Empire was formed, slavery was outlawed and all the thralls were made freedmen.”

          “What about the first encounter with the harpies?” Wind Whistler asked, her skin prickling at her nervousness.

          Daniel paused for a second.  “You have to understand how desperate it was here in Boreas.  Snow fell in the middle of the summer, crops were constantly failing.  Even the fishing was poor.  They needed food.”

          “Did they invade?” Wind Whistler insisted.

          “Relax, Wind Whistler,” Paradise said.

          “No!” Wind Whistler snapped before she thought better of it.  She took a second to regain her composure.  “We were almost killed out there.  If we’re going to involve ourselves in this, we need to know the truth: the whole truth.”

          Daniel drew in a breath and slowly released it as a sigh.  “It was a military invasion.  It is something that the Boreans look back on in shame.  Raiding was something they were supposed to have put behind them when the Empire was formed.”

          “Are you happy now, Wind Whistler?” Truly asked.  “This poor man has been through more trauma than should be asked of anyone, and you’re demanding a history lesson from him.”

          Wind Whistler paused as her mind wound down.  “I—I’m sorry.  It’s just, I need to know.”

          “I think you’re going too much with your head and not with your heart,” Truly said.  “It’s those monsters who care about what happened a thousand years ago, we should care more about the here and now.  They’ve kidnapped and girl and assaulted her father, they’re the bad guys now regardless of the past.”

* * *

          Frona squeezed between a pair of trunks to Melinda slumped against a tree.  Burgundy lines of dried blood led down from her nostrils.  She took her cheeks in her talons and pealed back her eyelid to see her eye shift towards her.

          Melinda opened her other eye and slowly got to her feet with the tree as a brace.

          “Where are they?” Frona asked.

          “I don’t know.”  Melinda winced and rubbed her head.  “The one with the locket split from the others.”

          “The ponies have the locket?!” Frona exclaimed.

          “Yeah.”  Melinda felt her nose.  “I think she got me with a branch, and the next thing I knew you were here.”

          “No,” Frona hissed.  She climbed a trunk, slashing branches away as she erupted from the canopy into the rainy gloom.  She rose up until the woods were in full review around her.  She spun around, looking for any flecks of color.  However, it was just green and brown under a blanket of gray.

          Desdemona and Melinda climbed through the hole she had made in the canopy and rose to her.  Desdemona spun around like she had.  “Where did they go?  It couldn’t have been more than an hour.”

          Frona balled her talons into fists, their claws digging into their scaly palms.

          “I say we burn their home and kill their horses,” Melinda snarled.

          Frona loosened her fists and thought it through for a moment.  “No.  Humans are creatures of place.  They’ll be tempted to return to their home at some point.  If they find it burned out and their animals slaughtered, they’ll run away and never return.”

          “So what do we do?” Desdemona asked.

          “Melinda, stay near the farmhouse and wait for any sign of them,” Frona answered.  “Desdemona, we’re going back to the stronghold.  The Glorious Alpha will have to know of the change in possession of the locket”—a chill crept up her spine—“and our failure.”


	6. The Wizard Wantall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ponies have an unwelcome visitor.

          Wind Whistler felt a pang of guilt when Daniel said he would be taking Danny and Molly to look for his extended family.  His explanation for the decision was perfectly logical.  The ponies were unable to provide for their omnivorous dietary needs, and being with family in a time of crisis was more comforting.  Still, Wind Whistler could not excise a nagging feeling she scared him off with her outburst.

          The others were more thrilled to be visiting a Horse People trading post, able to do the shopping and investigating they could not because of the harpies.  Arriving at the trading town also chased away Wind Whistler’s concerns with growing curiosity.

          The Horse People were as Daniel had described.  They had manes of varying shades of reddish-orange, green eyes, and pink skin with splotches.  The women and girls wore frilled overalls over blouses and slippers on their feet they could easily get into leather boots for riding.

          However, there were other kinds of humans as well.  Along with the fair and blond Boreans, there were people of varying shades of darker skin with black hair and dark brown eyes.  They traded in spices, citrus and other tropical fruits, and fine fabrics for local furs, temperate fruits, and ores.

          “It’s certainly active,” Truly commented.

          “During the late spring and summer, peoples from the southern lands will come to these port towns to trade with the northerners.  During winter, the opposite is true as Boreans will travel south for trading,” Daniel said.  “I see there are some dragons and diamond dogs here too.”

          “Dragons, diamond dogs, where?”  Sparkler looked around.  There were no massive reptiles in the skies or knuckle walking canines in the outpost.

          “There.”  Daniel pointed.

          There were a few members of a reptilian species in workshops.  One of them lifted up a metal blade with tongs and exhaled a stream of blue flame on it until it was red hot and held it to an anvil.  They picked up a hammer and began striking the blade, sending sparks from it.

          Some canines occupied stalls selling jewelry but weren’t the hunched over, top heavy brutes Equestria called diamond dogs.  They had an upright posture and more balanced proportions with boxy muzzles, long tails, and long ears hanging down the sides of their heads.  The males wore gray coveralls with jeweled buttons and helmets with lamps built into the front and females wore colorful dresses with jeweled broaches on their chests.  A group of them were standing around a table examining one’s collection of raw rubies, sapphires, and other precious gems.

          “Will wonders never cease,” Buttons said.  “I can see the resemblance, but they’re nothing like what we called dragons and diamond dogs.”

          “Anyway”—Daniel turned to the three-story building in the center of the outpost—“I’m going to talk to the local record keeper to see where my sister’s family is living.  She moved higher in one of the branches since I saw her last.”  He turned to Danny and Molly.  “Stay with the ponies and don’t get into trouble.”

          “We won’t,” the two said together.

          Daniel disappeared into the building.

          “So, where to first?” Cupcake asked.  “I saw a vendor for dry goods.”

          “I actually want to talk to those ‘diamond dogs’ about their gem mining,” Sparkler said.

          “Just be careful.”  Truly eyed the canines suspiciously.  “If they’re anything like the ones in Equestria, they’re nasty things.”

          “Equestrian diamond dogs would never think of selling their jewels,” Sparkler said.  “That’s something different right there.”

          The others dispersed into the town.  That left Wind Whistler alone, and she took in her surroundings.  The town was built on a moraine, a ridge of debris left at the bottom of a glacier.  As Daniel had described, it choked the fjord off with a river feeding into it from higher into the valley.  The fjord was so short she could see where it reached the open ocean.

          Boats bobbed next to the wooden docks.  Many were the long, shallow boats built by the Boreans, but there were ships of other designs as well.

          There was so much to take in, but Wind Whistler decided to go watch these ‘dragons’.  They were certainly smaller than Equestria’s dragons, averaging around two meters in stature not including their tails.  They were wingless and lacked other flourishes of the dragons she was familiar with.  They did not have fins at their ears and their tails came to a simple point.  Their nose and mouth were also boxier and less beak-like.

          Aside from breathing fire and standing on their two hind legs, they had more similarities with the lizard family.  The shape of their head and claws were indicative or monitor lizards, but the spines running from the top of their forehead to the tip of their tail was a hallmark of iguanas—the spines being much smaller and more rounded than those of Equestrian dragons as well.  There were the ears too which were almost mammalian in their shape.

          “I haven’t seen a dragon make a sword.”  Danny ran up to join a group watching the dragon blacksmith pounding on the blade.

          “I want to watch that one making glass.”  Molly pointed to a female dragon behind a booth with several glass sculptures on it.  The dragon was the color of wood ash with bright orange spines that almost seemed to glow compared to her dull scales.

          She was breathing a gentle flame on a chunk of glass in her gloved hand and using tongs to pull it into leaves.  Wind Whistler noticed her flame ignited only halfway up her mouth and never touched any part of her.  She had a few onlookers including seven juvenile dragons that could make their own rainbow if they stood side by side in the correct order.

          She stopped the flame and the orange glow of the glass faded to reveal the vanes of red glass inside the clear exterior.  She stuck out her forked tongue at the glass several times in quick succession, probably gauging its temperature.  “Now, the more opaque glass cools slower than the clear.”  She picked up a small tube.  “That means we can insert air channels.”

          She stuck the tube into the center of the leaves and blew, causing the vanes of bulge slightly.

          “Now for some dew drops.”  She pulled out the tube and picked up another with one end flared.  She stuck the narrow end in the glass and breathed fire into the flared end.  The vanes started to glow from the heat.

          She picked up a small pin and pricked a vane.  A glowing, orange bubble of glass expanded into a tiny sphere.  She did more on the leaves and it crated the appearance dewdrops were sitting on the leaves.  Deeper or shallower pricks made for different sizes of bubbles.  It must have been a craft that took years to master.  She finished and showed the work to the onlookers who clapped.

          “Way to go, Mom!” one of the juvenile dragons, purple with green spines, cheered.

          “Thank you, Spike,” the female dragon replied.

           She placed the newly made sculpture down on the table with other beautiful crafts made of colorful glass inside clear outer coatings.

          Wind Whistler motioned to the blacksmith workshop where Danny had gone.  “We should retrieve your brother.”

          “All right,” Molly grumbled.  She turned back to the dragon.  “That’s really beautiful.”

          The dragon and her sons waved.  “Thank you, little girl.”

          The blacksmith shop several meters away was far noisier as the smith pounded on glowing metal.  He was working on a long sword, and had a crowd of his own watching.

          He turned it more into a show as he pounded on the sword so hard the hammer would bounce up and he let it land on the anvil to absorb the remaining momentum.  When he had to turn it, he would spin it.  However, it was probably also to check the balance.  He would also use his tongue to check the blade after the blade had lost its glow.

          Applause came when he would hold up the blade and bathe it in his blue flames.  The blade became red hot and he would start pounding it again.  When he was finally finished, he attached its hilt and dipped it in a bucket of water that hissed and steamed from the heat.

          “Enjoy the demonstration?” Wind Whistler asked as they approached Danny.

          “That was awesome!” Danny declared.  “When I’m older, I want a dragon-forged sword.  Maybe even one made of their light steel.”  He mimed swinging.  “I’d like to see the harpies try anything if I had one of those.”

          “As a flying creature myself,” Wind Whistler said, “I can tell you melee weapons have limited effect on an airborne enemy no matter how well crafted or refined the materials composing it.”

          “Besides, the dragon over there was putting dew drops on a plant,” Molly added.  “That’s way cooler.”

          “Whatever,” Danny scoffed.

          “There you two are.”  Daniel walked up to them with a piece of paper clenched in his hand.

          “That was quick,” Danny said.

          “The record keeper had little to do,” Daniel replied.  “I found where your aunt is, and we can take a boat there right now.”

          “Do we really have to go?” Molly asked despairingly.  “I know we can’t go home, but we could stay with the ponies.”

          “If you are leaving because of my prior behavior,” Wind Whistler said, “I deeply apologize and wish you would not leave us believing there is any animosity.”

          “It’s not that,” Daniel said.  “We can’t impose on you, and I should let my sister know anyway.”

          Wind Whistler bowed her head so Daniel could take the locket.  “I guess I should return the locket.”

          Daniel held out his hand.  “Keep it.  You’ve done more with it than we could.”

          Wind Whistler picked up her head, than pang of guilt returned.  “Then I guess this is goodbye.  We will continue our efforts to rescue your daughter.”

          “Thanks.”  Daniel ushered Daniel and Molly towards some small boats on the valley side of the moraine parked by a distant building.  “Come along, you two.”

          Molly turned back to Wind Whistler and waved.  Wind Whistler waved back.

          No sooner had they climbed into a boat that was pulled away by two horses on the shore, than the others came up to her with a cart hitched to Bow-Tie and Posey loaded with goods.  There were sacks of flour, sugar, salt, jars of some basic species, several bolts of fabric, boxes of colorful ribbons, bandages, iodine, basic medicines like penicillin, and one tiny crystal cactus in a pot.

          Paradise flew in and showed Wind Whistler a book displaying a title in runes, but including some that were not from the keyboard.  “This is a translation dictionary from Old Borean to modern Common.”

          “I assume Common is the name of the language being spoken here,” Wind Whistler replied.

          Paradise nodded.  “It’s convenient it mirrors Equestrian so well.”  She held up the book.  “And with this, I can translate the books in the library and the labels on the machine as well.”

          She showed took out a piece of paper she had folded in the book.  “I also made a chart of the sound value for each rune.”  She had drawn thirty runes and under it was a symbol for the sound in Equestrian, including the phonetic letters not used in normal text.  “Both are purely phonetic alphabets, so every rune represents a specific sound.”

          “Glad you found something to do.”  Wind Whistler was more of a mathematics pony than linguistics.  On the subject of math, she looked at the pile of goods and tried guess how much all of it cost.  “Did you spend all twenty kilograms of silver?”

          Cupcake shrugged.  “Only a little more than five.  Though, Sparkler didn’t buy any jewelry.”

          “This world’s diamond dogs are nice enough, but their prices are insane,” Sparkler said.

          “So, they left?” Cupcake asked.

          Wind Whistler nodded and felt a pit in her stomach.  “They’re going to stay with Daniel’s sister.”

          Cupcake sighed.  “That’s too bad.  Molly is such a cute little girl.”

          “They say it’s for the best,” Wind Whistler said wistfully.  Which was true, but that nagging feeling she had done something wrong was still gnawing at her.

* * *

          Returning to the castle and not having anything in particular to do left Wind Whistler alone with her thoughts which centered on Daniel and if she was out of line.  It would not be the first time she ruined a relationship before she realized what she had done.  Friendships were fleeting and fragile for her, shattered before she even picked up on there being a problem.  It would also not be the first time someone told her it was not her fault to her face only to later discover it had been because she had said something or not said something or done something that did not register as significant to her but offended them.

          How could she absorb academic facts readily, but have so much trouble reading others?  It was like she had told Blueflower the previous night.  The social setting was such an irrational minefield just looking to blow up in her face, ponies expecting her to always behave perfectly even if they seem to freely display their fault with an expectation of them being ignored.  This was why Wind Whistler did her best to avoid it.  It could not harm her if you are not in it.

          She also had the problem of the harpies and the captured girl.  Twice they had encountered the harpies, and it was a tenuous victory against one of their weaker members and a hasty withdraw from just three of them.  If they were going to save her, they would need to confront the harpies directly.  They did not even know where they were based, so they had literally nothing to even start on.

          There was also not much to take her mind off of these concerns.  With the mystery of the machine solved, there was not much about the castle that required too much scientific or logical thought.  They were making themselves at home in this castle.  Powder had finished making ice blocks for the refrigerator room, and Cupcake wasted no time storing the milk and eggs she had bought.

          A possible mystery was how a castle could be so well maintained and furnished and yet completely devoid of any foodstuffs.  The refrigerator room was room temperature and completely dry when they found it, suggesting ice was never put in it during the winter.  There was not even a block of salt in the kitchen, but it had every appliance, container, and utensil you could think of in immaculate condition.  The whole castle seemed like a museum piece meant to be seen rather than lived in.

          “You look worried,” a voice said.

          Wind Whistler turned around and saw Shady step out of an alcove and push her sunglasses from over her eyes to their usual place in her mane.  She thought she had hid her expression of her concern, but apparently not well enough.  “How can you tell?”

          “I’ve seen that face too often in the mirror,” Shady replied.  “I worry a lot.  I had actually gotten better about it.  I had a steady job, a circle of friends I could trust.  It wasn’t the best, but it was stable.  Now I’m on an alien world with a bunch of strangers and killer bird creatures, and that worried face is back.  Are the harpies as bad as I’ve heard?”

          “They’re two and half meters tall, have sharp talons for hands _and_ feet, and carry longbows that loose arrows longer than you are tall,” Wind Whistler replied.

          Shady swallowed and slouched to make herself appear as small as possible.  “We’re all gonna die.  I just know it.”  She shifted her eyes from side to side and trembled.  “They’ll find us and slit all our throats.  And that’s if they’re generous enough to make it quick.  I don’t blame you for being worried.”

          “It’s actually not them I’m worried about,” Wind Whistler said.  Well, they were one thing that worried her, but she had more immediate concerns.  “I fear I have destroyed a relationship through my actions.”

          “You faced down those terrible creatures, and you’re worried about a ruined friendship?” Shady asked.

          “Call me strange,” Wind Whistler sighed.  “Other ponies typically will.”

          Shady shook her head.  “Oh!  I’m didn’t mean it that way.  I actually admire being able to face danger without fear.  I wish I could.”

          Wind Whistler was going to respond, but realized it would be rather odd and uncomfortable to carry on a conversation in the middle of a hall.  “Do you want to have lunch together?” she asked.  “It would be more comfortable to converse in the dining hall.”

          “Sure,” Shady replied.

* * *

          Wind Whistler picked up the tray of grass and flowers.  She could hear cheerful singing coming from deeper within the kitchen.

          “So many fishes left in the sea,” Cupcake sang.  “So many fishes, but no one for me.  I’m thinking, I’m thinking of cooking a love, soon after supper is done.”

          Wind Whistler put the tray down.  “She seems particularly jovial since we returned,” she commented to Sweetie.

          “She was over the moon—both moons—once she put flour and sugar in a bowl,” Sweetie replied.  “She started baking cookies immediately, and said they’ll be a treat for dinner.”

          Wind Whistler sniffed the sweet scent wafting from the kitchen, and her mouth started watering.  “Do you know what kind?”

          “Just simple sugar cookies,” Sweetie said.  “Still, it’s something other than grass.”

          Wind Whistler sniffed the air again.  “And they smell delicious.”

          She picked up her tray and took it to where Shady was sitting and set it down opposite to her.  She sat down and looked to the vibrantly-colored earth pony.

          Wind Whistler paused as she tried to think of a good way to break the ice.  “What part of Equestria did you come from?”  Hometown was probably a good start.

          “Mareami,” Shady answered.  “You?”

          “Cloudsdale,” Wind Whistler said.  “What did you do for a living there?”

          Shady motioned up with her eyes to her sunglasses.  “I sold sunglasses.  The sun is really intense down there, so you need sunglasses to protect your eyes.  I had a vendor’s booth in the visitor’s center.”  She slouched.  “Though, it’s probably been taken by now.”

          Wind Whistler paused as she tried to think of what to say next.

          “What friendship do you think you ruined?” Shady asked.

          That worked.  “I fear I was too hostile towards Mr. Williams because he didn’t tell us the full story of Boreans and the harpies.  He’s taking his children to find his extended family.  He said it’s because he can’t stay with ponies, but I have this fear he is mad at me for it despite his claims otherwise.

          “It’s happened in the past.”  Wind Whistler showed Shady her symbol of pink and baby blue whistles.  “I was rather late getting my symbol.  I pursued various academic fields believing my intelligence was my special talent, but when I succeeded I did not have a symbol to show for it.  It didn’t appear until one of my friends was in an extended feud with another pony.  My friend was clearly in the wrong, and when I sided with the other pony, I realized my special talent was using logic to remain impartial and not give into to personal or emotional bias.  However, what good is gaining a symbol when you lose one of your few friends.  She never spoke to me again, and made her other friends purposefully ignore me.”

          She gave a shrug.  “I knew I was right, but how they treated me still hurt.  Since then, I’ve avoided becoming too attached to other ponies and try to keep my opinions to myself.  It seems like no one cares what I have to say anyway, so there is no reason to waste my breath.”

          “She doesn’t sound like a friend,” Shady said.  “She sounds like someone who just wants to be around ponies who agree with her.  If she was a real friend, she would have appreciated you pointing out she was wrong.”

          “Now that you mention it, that did seem to be the state of her little group,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “And Daniel is going to stay with his family now that he can’t go home,” Shady said.  “It’s what I would do in his position.”

          “Which is the logical reason,” Wind Whistler replied.  “I had tried to explain that to myself, but you helped me get over apprehensions of fully embracing it.  I mean, he left his late wife’s prized heirloom with me.  I doubt someone not intending to see us again would do that.  Thank you.”

          “Glad I could help,” Shady said.  “I can actually relate with not getting my symbol for so long.”

          She showed the glasses with dark blue rims and white lenses decorating her haunch.  “I didn’t get it until a morning when my dad forgot his sunglasses.  I was worried his eyes would be damaged, so I rushed them to him before the sun came up.  I felt like it was what I was meant to do, so I now I sell sunglasses.”

          She sighed.  “Though, I have no sunglasses to sell, and there are only few ponies even if I did.  I’m completely useless here.”

          “Don’t say that,” Wind Whistler replied, hoping she was coming off as comforting as she intended.  “You just helped me gain a new perspective on a negative event in my life that had impeded my development of relationships and stating my opinions.  Perhaps your talent is broader than you believe.”

          Shady looked to her and mouth bent up in the smallest grin.  “Would you be willing to help me?”

          “You helped me,” Wind Whistler said.  “It only seems fair.”

          “And I don’t care if you think I’m wrong and say it,” Shady added.  “If anything, I prefer someone who’s honest and I can trust to tell me like it is.”

          “You will certainly have it with me,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “And maybe you can help me be fearless,” Shady said.

          “I wasn’t without fear when I faced the harpies,” Wind Whistler replied.  “I was actually very afraid of them.  I just didn’t let my fear lead into blind panic and thought my way through the problem.”

          “Still better than I would have done,” Shady said.

          “Hey, Wind Whistler!”  Fizzy trotted up to the table.  “Who’s your friend?!”  She turned to Shady who was leaning away.  “Hey!  You’re that pony I saw earlier this morning!”

          Shady looked to Wind Whistler.  “Do you know her?”

          “Fizzy and I met last night,” Wind Whistler answered.  “She’s energetic but harmless.”

          Fizzy nodded.  “I hope I didn’t scare you,” she said in a softer voice.

          “I’m just jumpy being around strangers,” Shady replied.  “I’m not sure who I can trust.”

          “You can trust us,” Fizzy said.  She extended her hoof.  “I’m Fizzy as you could have already guessed.”

          “Shady.”  Shady hooked her pastern cautiously with Fizzy’s and take a shook.

          “I hope we can be friends,” Fizzy said.

          Shady smiled.  “I would actually like that.”

          “Too it’s bad they didn’t bring me along this morning,” a voice stated proudly.  The white unicorn with a red streak in her dark green mane stepped up onto a table with several ponies watching.  The purple maple leafs of her symbol were striking against her pale coat.  “If I had been there, I would have blown those harpies into next Tuesday.”

          An aqua aura surrounded her horn and the energy started to spin around it like a small tornado.  The chandelier directly above her twisted and swung in the wind she created.  “They might have scared some pegasi, but they’ll rue the day they come against Gusty!”

          “Leave it to a unicorn with wind magic to be such a blowhard,” Wind Whistler commented.

          Fizzy snickered.  “That’s a good one.”

          Wind Whistler grinned.  “It was, wasn’t it?”

          “I wish I was like her,” Shady said.  “She’s not afraid of anything.”

          “Everyone is afraid of something,” Wind Whistler replied.  “Either that, or they’re a fool.  Regardless, she hasn’t faced the harpies directly, so she really doesn’t know what it’s like to be in the sights of their longbows.  It’s easy to be brave when the danger is only conceptual.”

          Gusty must have overheard as she hopped off the table and trotted up to them, glowering at Wind Whistler specifically.  “Do you doubt my abilities?”  She got almost nose to nose with Wind Whistler.

          Wind Whistler had never been much for physical confrontation and avoided it when she could.  “No,” she replied.  “I just believe you are underestimating our adversary which is dangerous.”

          Gusty turned away from her.  “When I meet them, you’ll see who’s dangerous.”

          A dull, electronic chime came from several points in the dining hall at one.  Everyone flinched and looked up towards the ceiling and walls.  “What was that?” Shady asked.

          _“HEY EVERYBODY!  WE’VE GOT AN INTERCOM!”_ Surprise’s voice shrieked around them.  Wind Whistler joined with everyone else in ducking her head and pinning her ears back at the piercing scream.

          _“Don’t yell into the microphone, Surprise!”_ Magic Star’s voice scolded but sounded farther away.  _“Do you want to make everyone deaf?”_

          _“Sorry about that,”_ Surprises voice replied sheepishly.  _“I just got a bit excited over getting it to work.”_

          “You have to wonder how we’ve managed to survive this long,” Cherries Jubilee commented to Sundance next to her, but loud enough to be heard by others.

          _“Assuming you can all still hear, yes this castle has an intercom system,”_ Magic Star’s voice came from speakers hidden among the beams and stone.  _“That means we can broadcast regular announcements and other information.  Any white panels you see also access the intercom in case of an emergency."_

          “We’re certainly making ourselves at home,” Shady said.  “All the supplies you brought back were paid for with silver out of the castle’s vault.”

          “It was rather shocking there wasn’t even evidence of food being in that kitchen for months, but the vault was practically bursting at the seams with real treasure,” Wind Whistler said.  “Silver coins, gold bars, precious stones—it must be the equivalent of a few milliards of bits in there.”

          “That’s convenient,” Fizzy said.

          “It’s also worrisome,” Shady replied.  “What if someone owns this castle and they come back for it?  What if they throw us out or accuse us of stealing when they find out we used their money?”

          “For the love of—” Gusty grumbled.  “Do you do anything but predict doom and gloom?”

          “I’d sell sunglasses if I had them,” Shady answered.

          Gusty grit her teeth and exhaled a groan.

          “I am inclined to believe this castle was recently abandoned,” Wind Whistler said.  “We’ve been here for three days with absolutely no sign of the previous inhabitants.  There would be at least some evidence of them.”

          “Why is everything is such good condition then?” Shady asked.  “And who would leave that much money just lying in the vault?”

          Wind Whistler shrugged.  “Who is to say the money has not gone unnoticed for an extended period of time and multiple owners.  We only learned of it because Surprise gets into everything and Sparkler is good at defeating locks.  The underground chamber had definitely not seen a soul for centuries if the dust down there is any indication.

          “As for the castle’s condition, preservation magic might have been used,” she continued.  “Maintaining a castle this size would require substantial resources and personnel otherwise.  It might have ceased being a dwelling and is instead an exhibit which would explain the lack of food stores.”

          “In the middle of nowhere?” Shady asked.

          “Or an item in a collection,” Wind Whistler answered.

          “And if someone owns the castle, they could be nice and glad we’re staying in it,” Fizzy said.  “There’s plenty of room, and we’re taking good care of it.”

          “You can beat your gums about theories”—Gusty walked away from them—“I’m going to go practice my magic.  Beating those harpies is at the top of the list, not throwing around ideas about this castle’s past.”

          “That wasn’t very nice,” Fizzy commented once Gusty had left the dining hall.  “So what if we were just talking?”

          “Some ponies don’t care about talking,” Shady said.  “They just want to do.”

          “Taking the time to discuss the matter is better than jumping into the incorrect action without consideration,” Wind Whistler said.  “Let’s hope she’ll at least look before she leaps on that day she _does_ come face to face with the harpies.”

* * *

          Gusty winked from the courtyard to outside the castle’s perimeter.  The world regained form as the shore of the fjord.  The air was already getting hot and sticky with hazy sunshine beating down, which meant it was less dense than normal.  That was just fine since she could practice maximizing the force she could put behind the thinner air.

          The valley was definitely beautiful, even the castle seeming natural amongst the otherwise untouched landscape.  She tried to imagine what it will look like in autumn when the leaves begin to change.  Along with the apple and cherry trees there were oaks, poplars, ashes, elms, hickories, and her personal favorite: sugar maples.  They would be absolutely ablaze with color and dropping them into piles to jump in when the weather started to turn in four months or so.

          _Four months,_ she thought.  This was only the third day they had been here, and she was already thinking about them being here for months.  That was giving up on them getting home too easily.  They got here somehow, so there had to be a way home.

          “Enough thinking,” she said to herself.  “You’re starting to act like those weirdoes in the dining hall.  We need action if we’re going to get anywhere.”

          She pointed her horn at the surface of the lake.  Air against water was always a good exercise, especially salt water which was heavier.  She summoned her magic and took charge of the surrounding air and twisting it into a vortex to gain speed.  As she got it as fast as it could go, she threw it forward.  The air continued to spin like the bit of a drill and slammed into the water.  The water was denser, but the wind had more energy behind it as she sent more forward.  That was all the science stuff she needed to know.  The water gave, splitting away like a zipper being unzipped and the waves rolled aside in either direction.

          Gusty relinquished her magic, and the air returned to its calm state.  The air had torn across the water for several dozen meters, and the waves were several centimeters high.  “Not bad for a warm up,” Gust said to herself.  “Let’s see if I can get those waves to a quarter meter.”

          She loosened up and prepared to summon her magic when something caught the corner of her eye.  At first she thought it could have been those harpies, but it was approaching from the ground.  It was a cart with a canopy over it, but there was nothing pulling it.  It puttered along, climbing a rolling hill slowly before descending it and coming up the next.

          Gusty gave a second’s thought to confronting it, but decided to let the others know.  She winked back within the confines of the perimeter wall and ran into the cool air inside of the castle.  She ran into Skyflier almost immediately after exiting the foyer.

          “There’s something coming at us,” Gusty said, making sure not to sound panicked.  “Do you know where the intercom thing is?”

          Skyflier pointed at a white panel on the wall.  “There’s one right there.”

          “Thanks.”  Gusty ran to the panel and smacked the button.  An electronic chime sounded.

          “Wait!” Skyflier called after her.  “What’s coming at us?”

* * *

          Wind Whistler shook the cup, the dice inside rattling against its interior and her hoof.  After enough times that she figured the sides facing up would have no correlation to their starting place, she smacked the cup on the table.  “Even or odd, Fizzy?”

          “Sometimes I wonder if it’s really a fifty/fifty chance of them either being even or odd.”  Shady flicked one of the spare dice with her hoof.

          “Including repeats, there are thirty-six possible combinations of rolls with two six-sided dice,” Wind Whistler said.  “Eighteen are odd and eighteen are even.”

          “What about the others?” Fizzy asked.  “Or if we added more?”

          The die set they found had seven each of four, six, eight, twelve, and twenty-sided dice as well as seven pairs of percentage dice.  Each group was a different color—black, white, red, yellow, green, blue, and purple—with digits indented into them that were slithering symbols.  The lighter colored dice highlighted them with black paint and darker colors used white.

          They were a beautiful set made of a hardened ceramic.  “They all have an even number of sides, so half of the possible results being odd and half being even would still hold true.”

          The digits had caught Wind Whistler’s attention.  They were similar to Saddle Arabian digits with each one distinct.  Though, they were different from those.  Fortunately one of the books in the library had a page showing each one corresponding to the staff and bar system used by the machine so they could tell the value of each. 

          “Speaking of even and odd,” Shady said, “we could use a fourth pony.  So many games need two or four players.”

          “I would wonder who make a good fourth member,” Fizzy mused.

          “That is something to consider later,” Wind Whistler said.  “For now, it is still your turn.”

          “Oh!  Right,” Fizzy said.  “I pick even.”

          Wind Whistler picked up the cup to show the two dice showing three and five, totaling an even eight.

          Fizzy cheered and levitated a cookie off the plate as her prize.  She took a bite and chewed it with a grin.  “These cookies are so good.  It was really nice of Cupcake to let us taste test the first batch.”

          Wind Whistler placed the cup back over the dice.  “It’s your turn to roll, Fizzy.”  She pushed them to Fizzy.

          Fizzy pushed the dice into the cup and covered the opening with her hoof.

          “How are you doing today?” Paradise asked, clutching a book on her front hooves as she hovered in.

          “I’m doing well considering the excitement of this morning,” Wind Whistler replied.

          Paradise shuddered.  “Don’t remind me of that.”  She set down the book.  “Now that I know what I’m reading, I’ve started going into the books.  The evolution this is alphabet is fascinating.”

          “Do tell!” Fizzy chirped.

          Paradise grinned, apparently all too pleased to do so.  “The twenty-four runes on the machine below us are for the old Borean language before the fall of their Empire.  There were six vowels and eighteen consonants.”  She laid out her ‘cheat sheet’ with the runes and their sounds.  “After the fall, the alphabet was condensed to twenty-one as they decided the voiced and voiceless sounds could be represented by a single rune like the non-sibilant fricatives were, but they kept the g-rune for the sound at the end of loch.”  She pronounced the word in its traditional way instead of ending it in the ‘k’ sound.

          “What’s a non-sibilant fricative?” Fizzy asked.

          “Oh, sorry,” Paradise said.  “I should probably not get too deep into the jargon.”

          She adjusted the glasses on her nose.  “Then came Common which is the language spoken today.  It’s a constructed language agreed upon by all of the peoples as the language of international diplomacy of commerce so anyone from anywhere to speak to anyone else from anywhere else.”

          “That sure is convenient,” Fizzy said.

          “For the writing system, they took the old Borean alphabet—since it was the best known thanks to the influence of the Empire and added to it,” Paradise continued.  “They added the ‘sh’, ‘zh’, ‘ch’, and ‘j’, sounds due to their widespread use as well as breaking ‘v’ from ‘f’ and (the voiced) ‘th’ from (the voiceless) ‘th’.  The sound the post-empire alphabet adopted is considered too rare and regional to be included as well as that voiceless ‘w’ sound Truly uses in her drawl.  They just put their h-rune behind k and w respectively for them.”

          Even if linguistics were not her forte Wind Whistler was intrigued.  “What about vowels?”

          “Vowels are a muddier subject,” Paradise said.  “There are six of them, and they seem to be sections of articulation rather than distinct sounds: closed-front, closed-back, mid-front, mid-central, mid-back, and open.  There is a long and short sound in each, the former being represented by doubling the runes.  There also three diphthongs for ‘ai’, ‘oi’, and ‘au’.”

          “Interesting, that almost perfectly aligns with the Equestria sound inventory,” Wind Whistler said, she knew at least that much about language.

          “Do you have any idea what they’re talking about?” Fizzy asked Shady who only shook her head in response.

          “How can their language be exactly like ours?” Shady asked.

          “Perhaps they are like the plants,” Wind Whistler suggested.  “The language has same point of origin and were either imported or exported at some point in the past.”

          “But languages change all the time,” Shady said.  “Think of the words that have been added, dropped, or changed in just the last century.”  She pointed to the sunglasses decorating her haunch.  "This is a symbol rather than a cutie mark to most now."

          “It’s also possible our minds were altered to recognize Common as Equestrian.”  Ribbon stepped up to them.  “There you are, Paradise.  I heard you picked up a book on the Common language.”

          Paradise closed the book on her sheet and held it out.  “Do you want to see?”

          Ribbon held out her hoof and shook her head.  “No thank you for now.  Language has just been on my mind, and I’ve done some surface scans of my mind and those of others.  There are changes to our language centers.  Whatever brought us here must have done something to make it so we recognize the local language and speak it as if it was our own.  Notice how we’ve replaced ‘pony’ with ‘one’ in terms like ‘everyone’ and ‘anyone’?”

          Wind Whistler thought about that and realized she even used those terms in her thinking.  They still called themselves ponies as individuals and their kind in general, and they used their particular terms for age and gender for themselves and parts of themselves.  However, those particular words had changed.  In fact, they seemed more natural and “everypony” and “somepony” seemed alien to think let alone speak.

          Shady swallowed.  “Then we don’t even speak Equestrian anymore?”

          “You can read minds?” Fizzy asked excitedly.

          Ribbon smiled and gave a nod.  “It’s my—”

          An electronic chime came from speakers.

          _“Hey, I need everyone’s attention!”_ Gusty’s voice came over the speakers.  _“There’s a weird land vehicle coming at the castle from the east.  Everyone head to the east wall.”_

          Shady made herself small and trembled.  “The harpies found us.”

          “They would be approaching from the air if they did,” Wind Whistler said.  “I don’t know what would be approaching on land.”

* * *

          Wind Whistler landed on the east wall where most everyone else had already gathered.  The last remaining pegasi landed, unicorns winked in, and earth ponies came out of doors in the towers.  Blueflower took position in the center of the crowd.

          The self-propelled land vehicle puttered towards them with no hurry.  It followed the shore of the fjord and came to a stop in front of the castle.  The blue and white canopy blocked her view of the interior and who or what was driving it.  It lurched to the side as its passenger got out of it before it fell back onto its four wheels.

          From what Wind Whistler could tell, he was human.  However, he was so fat he was almost shaped like a ball with a round head on top and thick limbs coming out of the practically spherical body.  His head was mostly hairless with only a spiky mane of reddish-brown hair around the back and a thin line up the middle that curled over his forehead.  His attire was bright with a yellow shirt, red pants, and a cape with a tall collar.

          He looked up with a smug grin which immediately fell into a bewildered stare.  “What are horses doing here?”

          “We’re ponies,” Bleuflower responded sharply.  “There’s a difference.”

          “Who are you?” Magic Star asked.

          The man took hold of his cape bowed.  “I am the Wizard Wantall of Mount Avarice.”  That smirk returned as he looked up to them.  “And this castle belongs to me.”

          Gasps came from the crowd.  “I knew it!” Shady shouted.

          “He’s lying,” Ribbon stated.  “The previous owner died recently, and he’s been looking to claim it for himself.  However, we got here first.”

          Wantall’s smirked sank into a frown as he glared at Ribbon.  “And why, my dear…lady, would you make such a scandalous accusation of me?”

          “Because I’m a telepath,” Ribbon answered.  “I picked it up from your thoughts.”

          “You dare intrude my mind??” Wantall blustered.  “How dare you?”

          “I didn’t have to go that far in since you were shouting, ‘I’ll just dupe these candy-colored horses out of the castle,’ at the top of your mind,” Ribbon said.

          “We could share the castle,” Fizzy suggested.  “There’s plenty of room.”

          Wantall clapped his hands together.  “Bless your heart, young lady.  That is a brilliant idea.”

          “And now he’s thinking of how he can get rid of us once he gets inside,” Ribbon said.

          Wantall glared up at them.

          “If the castle was up for grabs, we claimed it three days ago,” Blueflower said.  “Go back to your Mount Avarice and leave us in peace.”

          “I warn you, ponies,” Wantall snarled, his voice becoming blunter.  “If diplomacy will not compel you to leave, then I have no other option than to resort to violence.”  He pushed up his sleeves.  “I am a powerful wizard, and my magic is not to be trifled with.”

          “Uh huh,” Blueflower replied casually.  “Well, I’m a powerful unicorn.  Care to put your magic where your mouth is?”

          She twirled her horn to build up magic and shot it towards the wheels of Wantall’s vehicle.  The rubber tires suddenly became square.  Wantall jumped back at this.  He swung back to stare up to Blueflower.

          “How about I put it this way,” Blueflower said.  She balanced her chin on the outside of her pastern and stared down with a sly grin.  “Leave _our_ castle and fjord if you don’t want to become the world’s largest die.”

          Wantall turned between Blueflower and the tires of his vehicle.  He stopped and pointed at her.  “Just feel lucky I wasn’t prepared for a fight today.”  He bowed.  “I’ll leave you for now.”  He climbed into his vehicle which almost fell over as it took on his weight.  “But you haven’t heard the last of the Wizard Wantall!”

          He drove off, his vehicle bouncing along on its square wheels.  Wind Whistler could feel her back start to hurt just thinking of the bumpy ride.

          Others in the crowd hooted, cheered, and bid Wantall sarcastic goodbyes.

          Blueflower turned to North Star and Lofty.  “Follow well behind him to make sure he leaves the valley, but don’t get too close.”

          “Sure thing,” Lofty said as she and North Star spread their wings and took to the air.

          Shady slumped and trembled.  “Bird creatures, evil wizards—we’re up to our eyeballs in powerful enemies.  Will we ever find powerful friends?”

* * *

          Lofty held well back from Wantall as his vehicle bounced along.  Fortunately, her sight was good, so even hanging well back let her he his vehicle clearly.  She was not sure where he got a device that propelled itself when they had not seen any evidence of this technology before and wondered if it was powered by his magic.

          Wantall stopped at the mouth of the fjord where the terrain would become even more unlevel.  He rubbed what had to be very achy hind end and grimaced at the tires.  Lofty and North Star hid and watched him to see if he would try anything.  However, all he did was cast a spell to make his tires round again.  Undoing a spell that Blueflower did not have break a sweat to cast seemed take a lot out of him.  He wavered before toppling backwards and laid there, breathing heavily for several minutes.

          “Obviously this ‘powerful’ wizard was no match for a seasoned unicorn like Blueflower,” North Star commented.

          He finally got up and climbed back into his vehicle.  He traveled along a winding and wavy path of crushed gravel cut into the wall of the valley and took the corner to parallel the main fjord.

          Lofty waited until the sound of his motor faded entirely before she allowed herself to relax.

          “Good riddens to bad rubbish.”  North Star wiped her hooves against each other like she was casting off dirt.

          “You said it,” Lofty replied.

          “Fortunately he was easier to dispatch than the harpies,” North Star said.  “I dearly hope _they_ never find our fjord.”

* * *

          Alecta paced behind the firing line.  “Knock!”

          The others pulled arrows from their quivers and placed the ends on their bowstrings.

          “Draw!”

          They pulled back the arrows to bend the bows and aimed down.

          “LOOSE!”

          They let go of the arrows and they shot down towards targets on the ground far below them.  Several of them found their mark while the few misses shattered on the rocks.

          “Once again!”  Alecta turned and paced the other way.

          “Knock!”

          Pull out arrows and place them on the bowstring.

          “Draw!”

          Pull back and aim.

          “LOOSE!”

          Let the arrows fly.

          Alecta turned.  “Once again!”

          “Beta Frona is approaching!”  Bernice announced.  “However, only Omega Desdemona is with her.”

          “Hold.”  Alecta stepped in front of the firing line and watched as the two harpies glided towards them.  They landed in front of her and kneeled on one knee.

          “Where is Melinda?” Alecta asked.

          “She remained behind to lie in wait for the humans and their pony allies in case they return, Glorious Alpha,” Frona answered, keeping her head low.

          “Then you failed me as well, Beta?” Alecta snarled.

          “If you would spare me your wrath, Glorious Alpha, these ponies are particularly clever prey,” Frona said, her voice even and devoid of emotion.  “They will require more strategy to subdue.”

          Alecta flexed her talons.  “I don’t want to hear your excuses.”  She turned her back to her Beta to display her displeasure.  “An Omega being bested by prey I will tolerate to a degree, but not from my second in command.”

          “The ponies have the locket,” Frona said.

          Alecta swung around.  “What?”

          “Melinda said the pony who assaulted her had it,” Frona reported.

          “After generations hunting down that family and the locket, and they hand it over to a bunch of undersized grass-eaters!” Alecta roared, her anger rising above any level of restraint.  “How dare they insult us like this?!”

          She spun around to the other harpies who flinched before straightening to attention.

          Alecta fumed, but she eventually got herself back under control.  She corrected her posture and exhaled a cleansing breath.  “Get fresh bowstrings and fill your quivers,” she said in a controlled voice.  “Split into teams of two and search that malformed valley for any sign of these…ponies.”  The very word was acrid in her mouth.  “I want to know where they live"—she displayed one of her talons, sharp as any artificial blade—“so I can personally tear open their necks one by one until they give up the locket.”

          “Yes, Glorious Alpha,” the others said at once.

          They ran into the entrance of the stronghold.

          “Glorious Alpha.”  Frona stood up.  “Shall I retrieve Melinda?”

          “No, Beta,” Alecta replied, thinking about her strategies.  “You were right to have her lie in wait at their house.  However, you two will join the others.”

          The others filed out with quivers full of arrows and their bows unstrung.

          “Search every corner of that valley and then the adjacent fjords,” Alecta commanded.  “I don’t care about the apes anymore.  Those ponies are somewhere with the locket, and when you find them report back here.  Now, go, my harpies.  Fly!”

          One by one, her subordinates spread their wings and dove over the cliff.  They let their wings fill with air and glided away from the mountain.  Alecta watched as they paired off and few towards the north and west.

          Thanatos flew out of the stronghold’s entrance and landed on her shoulder.  She stroked his feathers, soothing her rage somewhat.

          “Horses are very good at running away, my pet,” Alecta said to him, regaining her composure.  “They’re swift and can outlast most predators.  However, when you corner them and cut off their avenues of escape—” she clenched her fist in front of him “—they’re just big targets.

          “The ponies might think they can hide from us, but we’ll find them.  We’ll attack where they’re holed up with the locket, and this time they’ll have nowhere to run and know the sharpness of our talons on their throats.  The locket and the Bifröst will finally be ours.”  She allowed herself a cruel chuckle as the others became indiscernible specks against the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wantall is a recurring character from the My Little Pony comic in Europe. He would show up from time to time to try to take the ponies' stuff, the waterfall being top on his list.


	7. Welcome to Dream Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ponies are visited by yet another Wizard, but this one is of a friendlier sort.

          Paradise loved the concept of language.  It was the foundation of her favorite pastime: reading.  It was really a trick of the mind when boiled down to its most basic mechanics.  On the spoken side, grunts had been assigned meaning and putting them in certain sequences conveyed an idea.  On the written side, squiggles on the page had become letters which were also put into sequences to convey ideas.  In their brains, meanings had been assigned to what are otherwise meaningless.

          She thought about this as she looked at the sheet of old Borean text Twilight Mist had provided her.  It was some kind of message left in the machine below them, but it was gibberish to her.  The straight lines and sharp angles were just squiggles.  Even if they were not, the sequences they were arranged in had no meaning in her mind.

          Looking to her cheat sheet with thirty runes and their meanings in Old and New Borean as well as Common, she thought back to what Ribbon had told her and Wind Whistler.  When they were brought here, something was changed in their brains so they understood spoken Common as if it was the Equestrian they had spoken their entire lives.  Yet, text was different.

          She figured whatever change that happened to their brains required a foundation.  As Wind Whistler pointed out, Common and Equestrian had the exact same sound inventories.  This made sense because both were composite languages.  Proto-Ponish was developed from the languages of the three tribes, actually predating Equestria by several centuries as a language of commerce and diplomacy much like Common.  Sounds were added, dropped, combined, and split.  Both these languages seemed to keep the consonants as distinct-sounding as possible so any speaker could pick it up.

          That was a foundation for understanding the spoken language.  Ponies knew the sounds, so only how the sequences were interpreted needed to be changed.   The written language was a different matter.  Ponies had never used runes like these.  There was no foundation to build upon, so they were nothing but unrecognizable squiggles in their minds.  They would need to be learned.  At least the language was phonetic so words were literally spelled as they were said.

          Though, now that she had the chance to scrutinize these runes, she seemed to remember some of the oldest charms created by Starswirl the Bearded resembled the Old Borean runes.  Perhaps, in his travels across worlds, he had come to this place.  Unfortunately, that would be no help to them.  Time had finally caught up with him decades ago, and she doubted he ever spoke of this world if it never made it to the page.

          “How’s it going?” Blueflower’s voice asked.

          Paradise spun around with a start, realizing just far she had fallen into her thoughts.  “Oh, Blueflower, hello.”

          She organized the books and papers on the desk.  “I’m still getting use to reading things in these runes.  I should probably sit down with some of the more basic stories and read through them get my brain to recognize them naturally.”

          She sat back.  “Then I have the old language to go back and translate.”  She picked up the translation book she had bought.  “At least I have a reference for the words.  Hopefully the syntax will be similar enough to Old Ponish that I can put them together in proper sentences.”

          “You should probably concentrate more on learning the current language before trying to translate another,” Blueflower said.  “You shouldn’t jump into the deep end before you even know how to swim.”

          “You’re probably right,” Paradise said.  Blueflower was certainly right, but Paradise felt a rather embarrassed starting over from almost square one in her profession of language.  She typically would just jump into translating old texts, but this was not Equestria.  Whether they liked it or not, as long as they were here, these runes were the alphabet.

          “What has you so interested in the old language anyway?” Blueflower asked.

          “Oh, Twilight Mist found a message in the databanks of the machine down there,” Paradise answered.  “We’re wondering if it’s the instruction manual, and if it might tell us more about how to use it.”

          “Well, I’ll leave you to your work,” Blueflower said.

          Blueflower turned to leave the library, but a thought came to Paradise.  “Blueflower—”

          Blueflower stopped and turned to her.

          “Do you think it’s right for us to simply claim this castle?” Paradise asked.  “I know the previous owner died, but it feels odd to just declare it ours.”

          Blueflower grinned.  “There’s an old saying that possession is nine tenths of the law.  We were brought to this castle in the first place, and it’s the only shelter we’ve found with no living owner.  Would you rather be out there in the wilds, especially knowing what’s out there?”

          Paradise’s veins became icy rivers at the thought of the harpies.  Forget the uncontrolled weather and any possible beasts out there.  Those things lurking in this world made Paradise grateful to be encased on stone in some obscure fjord.  “I see your point.”

          Blueflower again turned away to leave, and Paradise went back to her reading.  If anything it would get the harpies out of her mind.

* * *

          Blueflower had lived her entire century and a half in Canterlot as a lady of the court.  She was actually there for the events surrounding the Elements of Harmony and the Princess of Friendship.  In fact, she was quite a vocal critic of Princess Celestia’s methods in facing the seemingly endless crises of that period.  She stopped at a mirror and looked at the face staring back at her.  It was a much older one she shoved into the Alacorn Princess of the Sun’s.

* * *

          It was just after Tirac—or Tirek, or however he spelled it—was recaptured and sent back to Tartarus.  Equestria was recovering from the damage he and Discord had caused.  Blueflower watched from the balcony as storefronts replaced their windows or just nailing boards to them because the damage was too severe to reopen.

          There was a change in the atmosphere of Canterlot even more so than after the Changeling attack the previous year.  Ponies avoided the shadows, and almost never went anywhere alone after dark.  The fear was almost tangible.

          “You’re spending a lot of time watching from up here, my little pony,” a warm and gentle voice said.

          It was meant to be comforting, but it brought Blueflower’s blood to a boil.  “I’m more than fifty years old and a lady of the court, not a wide eyed student in your school.  Please don’t refer to me that way.”

          Princess Celestia came to stand beside her.  “Sorry, Lady Blueflower.”  She turned her attention to the streets below.  “What are you watching?”

          “Your folly,” Blueflower said plainly.  “None of this would have happened if you confronted Tirek yourself when he was still weak.”  She turned to Celestia.  The alacorn towered over her, her coat the palest pink and her dawn grated hair wafting despite no breeze.  Her horn stood tall on her forehead and her wings could envelop Blueflower.  The sun gleamed on her gold chest place and jeweled crown.

          However, all Blueflower saw at the moment was a gilded fool.  “Please tell me you’re going to kill that thing this time.  There’s no reason to keep him alive.”

          “And here I thought you were a bleeding heart liberal,” Celestia said.  “I seem to remember the speech you gave about how execution was one of the last vestiges of barbarism.”

          “He’s an enemy at war with us, not a common criminal,” Blueflower stated.  “It’s not like you tried him in court the first time you imprisoned him or this time.  You just threw him into Tartarus on nothing but your own judgment.

          “And look at the damage he did _after_ you became aware of him.”  She pointed to the streets.  “Lives have been destroyed.”

          She turned to the streets again.  One of the boarded up business speared her heart.  “Tailor Tape made my cutinera dress, and now he’s lost the boutique he put decades of hard work and sacrifice into.

          “If Tirac escapes again, we’ll go through all of this again.  More lives will be torn apart.”  She thought of other communities out there, appearing like nothing but patches of brown and gray in the plain of green from Canterlot’s mountainside perch.  Tirac’s rampage had to have been even more devastating to the ponies living there.  “He’s down there plotting his next escape, you know.  Even if it takes a thousand more years, he’ll find a weakness.”  She glared up at Princess Celestia.  “He’s an undeniable threat to all of us and shouldn’t be allowed to continue.”

          After a pause, Celestia asked, “Did he get you?”

          “What does that have to do with anything?” Blueflower asked in response.

          “Please humor me, Lady Blueflower,” Celestia said in a gentle but stern tone.

          “No,” Blueflower said.  The next sentence made her twist inside.  “I hid.”

          “That’s all you could have done,” Princess Celestia said.

          “Because you let him get that powerful,” Blueflower stated.  “Why did you send Discord after him in the first place instead handling it personally?  And what did you think sending Princess Twilight Sparkle into hiding with your collective powers would do?  You have had several critical lapses in judgment this past year and half, but your blunders almost cost us everything this time.  Do you even think things through anymore?”

          Blueflower stopped when she remembered she was speaking to the highest of the princesses and a powerful being more than twenty times her age.  She could find herself in a cell next to Tirac for this.

          Celestia looked down to her and smiled.  “You need to have faith, Lady Blueflower.  We’re all alive and have our magic again.  We will rebuild.  Tailor Tape’s boutique will be reopened under a pony of good reputation; I have made assurances of that.  As for him, he will make dresses again in another community.  Things have a way to work their way out.”

          Blueflower shook her head as she watched the streets.  “No.  _We_ work things out.”

* * *

          As much as she hated Princess Celestia’s methods, Blueflower found herself becoming more and more like her as the decades past and she entered the second half and now third quarter of her life.  She picked up her sense of humor and even tendency to call those under her little ponies.  However, one thing she would never accept is just having faith.

          Things never simply work themselves out.  Problems required effort and direction to be solved.  Though, she knew she could never do it all.  Along with honing magic on par with even the alacorns, she had become a very good judge of character over the past century.

          Yet, she found herself thinking of what the Alacorn Princess of the Sun would do in this situation.  Her resources were limited, only thirty-seven ponies and the contents of this castle at their disposal.  That seemed to be right up Princess Celestia’s alley.  Only they were it.  No reinforcements waiting should they fail, no royal guards to protect them, no massive country rich in resources to call upon, and no magical items to summon friendship-powered death beams.  Though, the Elements of Harmony were designed to vanquish abominations, and were most likely powerless against this vicious yet mortal foe.

          That was the wrinkle to all this.  The harpies were not friendship-hating abominations but a race like ponies.  This would not be a battle of ideas as a war of material gains and losses.  Their objective was the save the girl the harpies held captive, and the harpies’ objective was to claim the locket they had in their possession.  At some point, they had to clash—pitting their resources against one another—with one side claiming their prize and the other being destroyed.

          Ponies, despite the multiple calamities they faced in those few years, had not fought a conventional war in millennia.  Not even the hostile encounters with the changelings or the Storm King could be called anything close to a war, and Equestria lost the main battles only for Princess Twilight Sparkle to pull victory out of nowhere.

          Much of what ponies knew of war came from speculative fiction which was based more the imagination of the authors than any fact.  They created tales about weaponized spells that could level of a city, even though no such spells had ever existed and would kill dozen of magic-users casting it.  They would also be impractical as it would destroy the spoils as well as the population.  Really, it was just wish-fulfillment for crazed survivalists rather than trying to capture the real facts of war.

          What she and this collection of ponies faced here was more primeval.  The harpies were using technology rather than magic.  They might not even have magic.  Yet, those longbows were deadly, she could tell just by looking at the long shaft of yew wood and feeling the tension build in the string when it was drawn.  The arrows loosed from them would skewer a pony like a kabob.  Not even the armor the royal guards wore would protect them from what were practically spears.  That was the reality they faced.

          She again focused on the face in the mirror.  These tangents of thought were not going to get her anywhere.  “What would you do in my position, Princess Celestia?  Or did you send us here to make some kind of point?”

          A kind of answer came in the lights above her dimming.  The glowing crystals in the chandeliers were fading.    Bow-Tie ran down the hall as more of the chandeliers as well as the sconces lost their glow.

          “It’s happening here too,” Bow-Tie mused aloud.

          “What’s happening?” Blueflower asked.

          “Half the lights in the common areas are fading,” Bow-Tie answered.  “These crystals just started giving out.”

          Blueflower looked to the almost dark chandelier.  She had seen Paradise’s expression when she suggested where they would be without this castle.  “What about the other mechanisms of the castle?”

          Bow-Tie shrugged.  “They seem perfectly fine.  Magic Star sent Wind Whistler, Sparkler, and Moondancer into the mechanical room to investigate the heat pump and other machinery just to be sure.”

          “I should see what they’ve found,” Blueflower said.  She looked to the chandelier again.  “Try to figure out what’s up with these crystals.”

* * *

          Heart Throb flew around the darkened chandelier in the foyer.  It was the second most beautiful fixture in the castle after the one in the ballroom.  Without it casting the light, the sunlight coming through the stained glass made splotches of different colors on the walls.

          She pushed back the refractive crystals to the ones that should be glowing, only they were simply milky and looked rather dull.  “Come on, darlings.  Why have you given up?  You make such a beautiful chandelier that welcomes all who visit the castle.”  She looked around at the harsh patches of light and shadow and cringed at the garish sight.  “Now it looks like its straight out of a horror movie.”

          A series of knocks came on the main doors.  Heart Throb sank to the floor and approached them.  More knocks came at the door.

          A face, or something roughly shaped like a face, tilted into view in one of the windows.  “Hello,” a gentle voice said, muffled by the glass.  “Anyone home?”

          Heart Throb gave it a second’s thought, but decided to answer the door.  She pushed it open just enough to crane her head out.  “Yes, darling?”

          A wrinkled, human man with a long white beard and mustache stood on the stoop.  A yellow robe with borders of red triangles around the edges covered most of his body and a red hat covered his wiry, white hair.  His eyes, behind a sphere of a nose, were wide with shock.  “You did show up!”

          “Excuse me?” Heart Throb asked, taken aback by the outburst.

          The man quickly regained his composure and looked to Heart Throb with gentle eyes.  “Sorry.  Where are my manners?  Greetings.”

          Heart Throb glanced to the drawbridge which was still up.  “Hello.  How did you get in here?”

          The man stepped aside to reveal an ornate rug that was floating several centimeters above the ground.  “A flying carpet.”  He stepped in front of it.  “I apologize for bypassing the perimeter wall, but I saw your drawbridge was up and I have urgent business.”

          “Business with whom?” Heart Throb asked.  “There are only ponies here.”

          The man nodded.  “I know.”  He bowed.  “I am the Wonderful Wizard, known as Whizz for short.  I must speak with an older, white pony with a horn coming out of her forehead and a silver streak in her blue mane.”

          Whizz held up his hands to form a circle with his fingers and an image of Blueflower appeared between them.  “This is the pony I want to talk to.  Is she here?”

          “Oh, well come in.”  Heart Throb backed up and opened the door more.  “Forgive the bat cave.  We suddenly have a light issue.”

          Whizz stepped in and looked around him.  “I see that?”

* * *

          One of the many fields Wind Whistler had studied was mechanics and in particular alternative technologies.  Refrigerators and air conditioners in Equestria used easily compressible refrigerants that could absorb and release significant quantities of heat quickly.  However, this world seemed to not have such chemicals.  Instead the refrigerator room needed ice to maintain its colder temperature and the interior temperature of the castle as a whole was regulated by this heat pump.

          The concept was simple.  At a certain depth, the temperature of the ground was constant at roughly ten centigrades above freezing.  By pumping air from the castle through tubes running that deep, its heat is dispersed and the air returning is much cooler.

          The machine hummed along, the pumps running on whatever was powering them.  With the lights going out, it was logical to be concerned with the other equipment.  However, fortunately, they seemed unaffected.

          The mechanical room was one of the areas afflicted with the sudden loss of light.  Light from Sparkler and Moondancer’s horn provided harsh illumination, but it was enough for them to survey the large machine sending pipes in every which direction.  With the stark and intertwining shadows, it looked like some monstrous creature frozen in place.  Even Blueflower was taken aback when she first saw it, but Wind Whistler immediately recognized it as just a lifeless machine that was there to help them.

          Sparkler opened a bulkhead on the side of the machine to reveal some dials indicating flux of air through the system, temperature, and electrical current used.  They were all right in the middle of their green areas signifying they were all at optimal levels.

          “Doesn’t seem to be any problem here.”  Sparkler closed the bulkhead.  “It’s just that those crystals are losing their glow.”

          “But why?” Moondancer asked, not bothering to hide her fear.  “What do we do to get it back?”

          “Generating light expends energy,” Wind Whistler said.  “The crystals must have exhausted whatever stores they had.”

          “Why so many at once?” Sparkler asked.

          Wind Whistler shrugged.  “If they were all installed at once, they would reach the point of exhaustion at roughly the same time.”

          “That might explain why the lights in the private rooms haven’t gone dim,” Sparkler said.  “We’ve been closing them off at night, and those mirrored strips probably conserve the light.”

          “The question is if their energy is permanently drained meaning they must be replaced, or if they can be somehow recharged,” Wind Whistler said.

          “What about the chamber under us?” Blueflower asked.

          Wind Whistler pressed the button her headset.  “You still have light down there?”

          _“Yes,”_ Twilight Mist answered.  _“Whatever lights the ceiling isn’t like the crystals you have up there.  I also believe I have an answer for how the machines up there get power.  Whatever supplies electricity for this thing also supplies it to the machines up there.”_

          “Good to know.  Wind Whistler out.”  Wind Whistler released the button.  “We’re getting power from below us for the machinery.  So, our only concern is lighting.”

          “That’s good to know,” Blueflower replied.

          “Why doesn’t this castle just have electric lights then,” Moondancer asked.

          “You would need light bulbs to convert energy from the electrical current into visible light,” Wind Whistler answered.  “It’s a much more complex device than the electromagnetic motor running this heat pump and might be beyond the technology of this world.  Instead, they use those glowing crystals which were a reliable and safe light source until they started to fade.”

          “Yet the chamber down there has light bulbs or something similar,” Sparkler said.

          “Just because they exist does not necessarily mean they can be replicated,” Blueflower said.  “From what our scouts reported, electricity and even these glowing crystals seem to be non-existent outside of the castle.  After the fall of an advanced civilization, several technologies are lost in the confusion as the infrastructure collapses.  Even a machine as simple as this requires infrastructure to be manufactured.”

          “Actually, the diamond dogs had some of those glowing crystals and use them for their lamps,” Sparkler said.  “They called them something quartz, but they were asking for prices more on par with diamonds.  I guess I should have asked how they worked.”

          “I also believe whoever built this castle and whoever built the machine below us were too different civilizations entirely,” Wind Whistler continued to return them to the topic.  “Along with the architectural and decorative differences, the gap between the technical knowledge to build this castle and that chamber is astronomical.  We’re talking a difference of centuries if not millennia.”

          “Yet, they’re connected,” Moondancer said.

          “By a secret elevator and apparently some electrical cables,” Wind Whistler replied.  “Likely, the builder of the castle discovered the machinery and built over it so they could control access to it.”

          “So the chamber is more advanced yet older?” Sparkler asked.  “It’s like this world is moving backwards.”

          “Cataclysms have a way of doing that,” Blueflower said.  “War, natural disasters on a global scale, or a pandemic could bring down even the mightiest empires.  The machine below our hooves is a relic from a long dead civilization that a younger one commandeered in the more recent past.”

          Crashing and rattling echoed around them, sending Sparkler clear off her hooves.  Several overdramatic screams and comments were indicative of Heart Throb stumbling through the dark.  The pink mare came into the light with a bucket on one leg and a mop on her head.

          “That’s a good look for you,” Moondancer commented.

          Heart Throb scowled.  “I came to inform Blueflower she has a visitor.”

          “Who?” Blueflower asked.

          “A brightly dressed man who calls himself the Wonderful Wizard,” Heart Throb answered.  “If you will excuse me, I will try to make it back upstairs and regain some dignity.”

          She pulled the mop off her head, and it took a couple of kicks to get the bucket off.  She disappeared back into the darkness and did not go ten seconds before making a clatter.  “Blasted castle going dark all at once,” she grumbled.  “I think I chipped my hoof polish, and there’s no possible way to fix it here.”

* * *

          Blueflower brought Wind Whistler into her meeting with the Wonderful Wizard along with Galaxy and Magic Star.  Galaxy and Magic Star made sense.  Magic Star was her undeclared second in command and Galaxy was the leader of the Crystal ponies.  Wind Whistler had been given no leadership position nor did she desire one.  She was probably there to represent the pegasi and was the most levelheaded choice.  Also, she was curious about this wizard and how he knew they specifically were here.

          The man Heart Throb had described sat in the study with a lantern holding a crystal glowing at full power on the table next to him.  He looked to them and grinned so broadly it forced his mustache up.  “Thank you for seeing me.”

          “I am Blueflower, the leader here.”  Blueflower sat in the chair opposite to him.  “Forgive the darkness, Wonderful Wizard.  Our castle is suddenly running out of light.”

          “Please, call me Whizz,” Whizz said.  He looked at the poorly lit ceiling.  “And I can see your problem.  It seems your solei quartz is out of energy.”

          “ _Solei_ quartz,” Sparkler said from the doorway.  “That’s what they were called.”

          “Yes,” Whizz answered.  “You’ll need to change them out for another set and recharge this one.”

          “How?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Whizz chuckled.  “You really are new to this world.  You simply set them out in the sun and they will absorb the light.”

          “Nice and simple,” Magic Star said.  “But, where is this other set?  We need to get some light back in here now.”

          “There’s a utility room next to the heat pump where they’re kept in cases,” Whizz answered.  “This castle has at least three sets if I remember correctly.”

          Blueflower turned to Sparkler standing at the door.  “Get Moondancer and find them.  Then tell all the others to start replacing the crystals.”

          Sparkler nodded and disappeared from view.

          “Anyway, now that your lighting crisis is on its way to being solved, we should get to the real reason I came here,” Whizz said.

          “How do you know us, or at least what we look like?” Blueflower asked.

          “It’s because this castle was previously owned by an old friend of mine: the Curious Curator or Curt as he preferred to be called,” Whizz explained with a chuckle.  “It was his lifelong project to restore this old castle in pristine condition again as a piece of history from the old Borean Empire.  He even cast an environmental protection spell on it so the elements wouldn’t degrade it.”

          He heaved a sigh.  “However, he had become a very old man, and…while he was very good at preserving artifacts and buildings, there was nothing he could do to preserve himself.  This winter ended up being his last.”

          “Sorry to hear of your loss,” Blueflower said.

          “He had been sick for a long time, so I had already gotten most of my grief in and his death came as more of a relief that his suffering had ended,” Whizz said wistfully.  “I still miss him, especially when I see something he would want to preserve for posterity.

          “But the point is, while he was lying on his deathbed, he asked me to view the future of his castle,” Whizz continued, apparently pushing his grief aside for now.  “I gazed into my Magic Pool, and it showed me ponies from another world.  You were particularly prominent in the visions it provided.”  He pointed to Blueflower.  “Needless to say, we were both in disbelief.  Still, I come by the castle from time to time to see if ponies were living here, and this time there were.”

          Wind Whistler was not sure if they should reveal what was under their feet.  He might know, or might not.  Then there was the issue of trust if he did not.  “What can you tell us about the history of this castle?  You mentioned it was a part of the Borean Empire.”

          Whizz nodded and sat back in his chair.  “This was a summer castle of the Valkyrie Queens starting at the beginning of their dynasty.  Some even say it was built before the main palace in the capital.  Its precise location was actually a closely held secret, visitors were only allowed to enter and leave by the Bifröst.  The Curious Curator only found it by accident, and then he kept it secret because he wanted it to be completely refurbished before revealing it to the world.  He had just finished too before he took ill.”

          “Why was it such a secret?” Wind Whistler asked.  “If it was just a vacation locale, such a clandestine status would seem unneeded.”

          The Whizz pointed to her.  “I like you.  You have an inquisitive mind.”

          The Whizz shrugged.  “They were a weird royal bloodline.  Obviously they hid the location and nature of the Bifröst.  Fortunately, because no one knew where this castle was, the harpies never found it to raze like the rest of the empire.  All the solei quartz and electric machines were still here.”

          “You know of the harpies?” Magic Star asked.

          “You do?” the Whizz asked.

          “We’ve had a few encounters these past two days,” Wind Whistler said.

          The Whizz leaned back in his chair.  “This is bad.  This is very bad.  If they’re back in Boreas, they must be after the Bifröst again.  The thought of those feathered devils wielding that kind of power is a thing of nightmares.”

          “Should we tell him what we found under the castle?” Wind Whistler whispered into Blueflower’s ear.

          “Not yet,” Blueflower replied.

          The Whizz turned to Blueflower.  “Have you found the secret chamber?”

          Wind Whistler’s heart flew up into her throat.  “What secret chamber?” she asked, wanting to make sure he meant what she thought he meant.

          “The one just off the royal bedchambers,” Whizz answered.

          Wind Whistler let herself relax.

          “I didn’t even know there was one,” Blueflower answered.

          Whizz grinned.  “Come with me.”

* * *

          Whizz led them up to the top of the keep and into the royal bedchamber Blueflower had claimed.  It was much as Wind Whistler expected.  It had the typical fixtures of a bedroom only more ornate.  The bed had a canopy over it, and the wardrobe was much larger.  The bed was perfectly made, and everything was spotless—Blueflower apparently being as much a stickler for neatness as Wind Whistler.

          “I’ve slept in here for two nights already,” Blueflower said.  “I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.”

          “Well, you might have missed this.”  Whizz went to a chess board and moved the two queens to the center of the board so they were in front of each other.  The wall pulled in and slid away to reveal a wooden door.

          Whizz opened the door to show the small room past it.  “Old Curt took months to figure this puzzle out.  However, it was worth it.”

          A gold tiara sat on a table with a pair of long, white gloves and gold slippers for a human woman.  The tiara had a cluster of small diamonds in the middle of a flower made of gold leaf.

          “Did these belong to the Valkyrie Queen?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Whizz shook his head.  “They’re items Curt found elsewhere and decided to keep in this little alcove.  The gloves and slippers are something you really need to see.”  He chuckled.

          Blueflower stepped into the room and picked up the right glove to hang it on her leg.  There was a ring sewn to the second outmost finger.  “They’re lovely, but they’re meant for—”

          She stopped when the gloves and slippers began to lose their form and reshape themselves into for gold horseshoes that went over the hoof with silver bows on the front.  “As I live and breathe,” Blueflower exhaled.

          “They’re magic as you can see,” the Whizz said.  “They change to fit an owner they accept.”

          “What can they do besides self-tailor?” Blueflower asked.

          “Try them on and twist your right front hoof clockwise once they’re all on,” the Whizz said.

          Blueflower put the shoes on her hooves.  The one for her right front hoof was last.  She twisted her hoof clockwise and suddenly vanished.

          “Blueflower!” Magic Star blurted.

          “Yes?” Blueflower’s voice asked casually.  “What is it?”

          “You’re still there?” Galaxy asked.

          “Of course, it’s an invisibility spell,” Blueflower replied.  “Let me guess, twisting my hoof counterclockwise will make me visible again.”

          The Whizz nodded.

          Blueflower reappeared.  “Nice.”  She held up her right hoof and looked at the shoe on it.  “This could be really useful down the road.”

          Galaxy picked up the tiara with her magic.  “What about this?”

          “It’s just a tiara Curt had made,” Whizz answered.  “He figured it would be fitting for a queen’s secret chamber.”

          “If only we had the queen,” Magic Star commented.  “Or, well, princess in our case.”

          The Whizz furrowed his brow.

          “Our rulers assume the title of princess,” Blueflower explained.  “It is a personal preference.”

          “Indeed,” the Whizz mused aloud.  “What can you tell me of the world you come from?”

          “Why do you want to know?” Magic Star asked.

          The Whizz raised his shoulder in a shrug and sat down in a chair.  “I’m curious.  It’s not every day you meet someone from another world.”

          “Unless you’re us,” Galaxy whispered in Wind Whistler’s ear.

          Blueflower sat in the chair at the desk, looking almost natural in the strange shape of the furniture.  “We come from a land known as Equestria, populated mostly by ponies like us.  There are three kinds, earth ponies like Magic Star, pegasi like Wind Whistler, and unicorns like Galaxy and myself.”

          The Whizz looked to Galaxy and her shimmering coat and mane.  “What’s with your hair?”

          “I’m from the Crystal Empire,” Galaxy answered, “ponies from there have coats and manes made of a kind of biological crystal.  Its luster is based on our mood.”

          “Well, it sounds like a fascinating place,” the Whizz said.  “How did you end up here?”

          “That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Blueflower answered.  “We come from all corners of our country, but we woke up in this castle three days ago.”

          “Well, we woke up in the desert with the crystal plants,” Galaxy added.

          “We call it the Jewel Desert,” the Whizz said.

          “I’m assuming your magic pool didn’t say how we got here,” Blueflower said.

          “Sadly no.”  The Whizz leaned back in his seat.  “I’m assuming you’re trying to get back home.”

          “Naturally,” Blueflower said.  “Though, we understand we knew to be prepared for the possibility of being here a long time if not permanently.”

          “I’ll help anyway I can,” the Whizz said.  “That’s actually what I do.  I’m a helper, using my magic to help solve people’s problems.  I don’t know how to send you back, but I’ll put my head to it.”

          His tongue came out from under his mustache and licked his lips.  “Do you have any honey?”

          “Honey?” Blueflower asked.

          “I got a big sweet tooth,” the Whizz said.  “There’s nothing like some honey on toast.”

          Blueflower looked to Wind Whistler.  “We never even thought of getting honey.”

          “That’s all right.”  The Whizz slapped his knees and stood up.  “We should get your castle lit up again.”

* * *

          As the Whizz had said, there were several crates in a room next to the heat pump.  Inside, incased in mirrored foil, were solei quartz crystals of various lengths.  The small stubs went into the sconces on the walls while the longest shafts were for the large chandeliers.  One set was dim while the other shined brilliantly.

          Wind Whistler and Paradise sat down with a schematic of the castle and planned out a system for quickly and efficiently replacing the hundreds if not thousands of crystals throughout the castle.  With Paradise’s cheat sheet on the runes, they were able to determine the names of each room and the crystals needed for each.  The cases were organized so each one held the crystals of a particular room or section of hallway.

* * *

          Wind Whistler joined the other pegasi in replacing the crystals in the ballroom as well the foyer, library, and the halls of the servant’s quarters.  The chandeliers were large and high above the ground.  They were no doubt lowered for humans to replace the crystals, but the pegasi could do it from the air.

          Hearth Throb pranced in place before she was given one of the long shafts that would go into the massive chandelier overhead.

          “How does it feel?” Paradise asked.

          “Cool, surprisingly,” Heart Throb answered.  “I imagined something putting out this much light would be more than a little warm to the touch.”

          “It must emit almost all of its electromagnetic radiation within the visual spectrum,” Wind Whistler commented.

          All eyes turned on her, and Wind Whistler realized she might be the only pony in the room to know what any of that meant.  “It doesn’t produce heat, just light.”

          “Well, it will make that light from the grandest place in the whole castle.”  Heart Throb flew up to where Medley had removed one of the spent shafts.

          Wind Whistler took to the air and watched Heart Throb as she carefully slipped the crystal between the metal strips and slipped one end into the top and then the other into the bottom of the casing.  She let go, but the crystal began to tip over and she had to catch it.  “How does it stay in?”

          “There’s a lever at the bottom that brings it up so the crystal is in tight,” Medley said, still holding the spent crystal.

          “I’ll get it.”  Wind Whistler flew down to where the small knob of metal was.  It took a couple of tries, but she managed to push it to the other side of its slot, and the bottom of the casing rose slightly.  Heart Throb let go and the crystal stayed in place.

          “There we go darlings,” Heart Throb said.  “That’s one down and only several hundred more to go.”

          Firefly, Lofty, and Surprise repeated the process one the next of the five remaining crystals in the chandelier.  This one still had a bit of glow to it, but it was very faint compared to the new one they replace it with.  They continued, putting the spent or mostly spent crystals in the cases vacated by the new ones.  The chandelier was back to its original brilliance within minutes.

          Wind Whistler searched the walls for a lever like the one she found in her room that controlled the overhead lamp.  There was none exposed, but one of the panels had a handle like a door.  Behind it was a wall of levers with the largest in the center.

          She pushed it down and the light from the main chandelier faded to nothing.  Between its light gone and the smaller chandeliers above the balcony still holding spent crystals, the ballroom went almost completely dark.  She pushed the lever back up and the light returned.

          “Well, the chandelier is done, and we can shut out its light when not in use,” Paradise said from behind her.  “Though, do we need to replace every crystal?  Some of them still have a bit of glow to them.”

          “It only seems logical,” Wind Whistler replied as she closed the panel.  “The crystals are kept in sets meaning they’re meant to be replaced and recharged all at once.”

          Paradise heaved a sigh.  “Then we might as well knock out the chandeliers on the balcony and the sconces on the columns.”

* * *

          Fizzy and Shady were working on the dining room’s iron light fixtures.  They could be lowered the tables and each stub was replaced in a flower like holder that would close up into a ball to protect them.

          Fizzy levitated a stubby piece of crystal out and put in a shiny new one.  “These are a really nifty idea, aren’t they, Shady?”

          “Doesn’t the Crystal Empire have light up crystal like these?” Shady asked.

          Fizzy shook her head.  “No, we use candles and light bulbs like the rest of Equestria.  Though, we do have crystals to go over them.”

          “I didn’t know that,” Shady said.  “I thought everything was crystals up there.”

          “When we get back home, you should come up the Crystal Empire,” Fizzy said.  “It’s the beautiful place you could ever see.”

          “‘When’?” Shady asked in response.  “Don’t you mean ‘if’?”

          Fizzy shook her head.  “I mean when.  We’re going to get back home, I know it.”

          Shady heaved a sigh. “I really wish I could see things like you can.  I’m just use to the worst happening.”

          “Have you ever thought that’s because it’s all you think about?” Fizzy asked.  “You’re not thinking of the better things, so you miss them.”

          Shady paused.  “I had never thought of it that way.”

          “Less talking and more replacing,” Cherries Jubilee barked as she walked past them.

          Fizzy took out another dim crystal and put a new one in its place.  Shady was doing the same with a little more of a smile on her face.  Fizzy joined her in grinning knowing she was in a better mood.

* * *

          Despite all that had to be done, Wind Whistler and Paradise’s system made replacing all the crystals only take a couple of hours.  Blueflower toured the relit castle and was pleased with what she saw.

          “Well done, all,” she said to them as they gathered in the ballroom.  “I know this was a rather mundane task, but I would say changing the lights makes this a bit more like home.

          “Speaking of which, I think we need a new house rule.  When you leave a room, close off the lights.  We want to conserve their energy as much as possible.”

          “Yes, Lady Blueflower,” the other said in a way purposefully indicative of a class of students to their teacher.

          The Whizz chuckled.  “I think I’ll take my leave now.  You seem to be settling in nicely.”

          “I’ll show you to the door,” Blueflower replied.

          They walked down the halls with the ponies dispersing to various places around them.  “What about Whizz as just a man?” Blueflower asked.  “Do you play cards?”

          “More of a backgammon player, actually,” Whizz said.  “And, as I said, I have a sweet tooth for honey.”

          Blueflower chuckled.  “I’m sorry we can’t accommodate it at the moment, but I think Sweetie is looking into getting some beehives for honey and pollinating the trees.  If she does, we’ll send you part of the first batch as payment for your services.”

          Whizz waved his hand dismissively.  “Not necessary.  I’m just glad to see old Curt’s project being looked after.  Taking good care of this castle is payment enough.”

          “Then as a gesture of friendship,” Blueflower said.

          “If you insist,” Whizz replied.

          “Speaking of the apple and cherry trees, were they also your friend’s doing?” Blueflower asked.  “We’ll be happy to have the fruit regardless.”

          The Whizz gave a short nod.  “The old orchards had long since gone fallow.  The new grafts were something he got to bring the grounds back to what they were in the old days.  Though, he chose more recent and popular breeds.”

          The Whizz stopped.  “By the way, you didn’t happen to find what was under the castle, did you?”

          Blueflower stopped and felt her skin prickle.  “You know of the machine below us?”

          Whizz nodded.  “Curt found that old elevator, and took it down.  He never got that thing to work, so he didn’t bother even cleaning up that dust pit.  However, that is very old technology, we both knew that.”

          “We believe it’s what the Valkyrie Queens called the Bifröst,” Blueflower replied.  “We managed to make it work.”

          Whizz exhaled a groan and stroked his beard.  “It’s even older than them.  The columns like those down there are only found in the ruins of the Ancients.”

          “The Ancients?” Majesty asked.  “That’s a rather vague name.”

          “That’s because little is known about them.  We don’t even know what they looked like let alone actually called themselves,” Whizz said, staring off into his own thoughts.  “We just know they were very advanced and very old.  Some say millions of years old.  This planet is littered with artifacts and ruins from their civilization, but most of it is corroded bits and pieces of little use beyond confirming the existence.”

          “According to the Boreans, the first Valkyrie Queen was a handmaiden of their gods and received the Bifröst from them,” Blueflower said.

          “No doubt that was the story given to them when she took power,” Whizz said.  “However, as we’ve come to know more about the Ancients’ technology, I and Curt suspected what really happened was a woman stumbled across that machine down there and used its technology to make it seem she had the power of their gods.  Regardless, if you have managed to get it running, you control one of the greatest powers on this planet.  That was the real reason Curt wanted to keep this castle a secret.  He feared evil might come looking for the Bifröst.”

          “No wonder the harpies are after it,” Blueflower commented.

          “The harpies,” Whizz grumbled.  “I still can’t believe those feathered devils are back in Boreas.  How many are there?”

          Blueflower shrugged.  “We don’t know.  We’ve encountered at most three but suspect there are more.”

          “They haven’t found the castle, have they?” Whizz asked.

          “Fortunately no,” Blueflower answered.  “However, they kidnapped a girl and are after her family’s locket.  It’s what reactivated the machine.”

          Whizz placed his hand on his forehead.  “Then they must have found the Valkyrie Queen’s bloodline.”

          “I thought she died,” Blueflower said.

          “She did, but her infant daughter disappeared,” Whizz replied.  “They believe she was sent to be raised a commoner.  The harpies must have managed to track her descendants.”

          He turned to Blueflower, his eyes suddenly harsh and lips tight under his mustache.  “You must use whatever you’ve found down there for good and protect it from those who would use it for evil.  Especially those feathered devils.  I don’t know how you were brought here, but you appearing in this castle was more than just happenstance.”

          Blueflower felt as if a weight had landed on her.  “We will keep it safe from those who would abuse it.  You have my word.”

          Whizz’s expression quickly lightened.  “Then this castle is in the perfect hands, er hooves, um…pasterns?”  He stroked his beard.  “Whatever body part you use to hold things.”

          They began walking again.  “Does this place have a name?” Blueflower asked.

          “It’s called the Appendix Fjord,” the Whizz answered, “but it’s a rather derogatory term for the place.  The appendix is a small organ that many believe serves no purpose in humans, and this fjord is considered useless because of the rocks at its mouth.  No one even bothered to enter for centuries, mapmakers just copying the old maps for its shape.

          “However, when Curt did find this place and spent some time here,” the Whizz said, “he began calling it Dream Valley because it said it was as if it came out of the most wonderful dreams.  Naturally, he castle would be Dream Valley Castle or Dream Castle for short.  Personally, prefer his name for it.”

          “Dream Castle in Dream Valley,” Blueflower mused aloud.  “A bit whimsical but fitting, and I agree far better than the demeaning name others have given it.”

          They continued to the foyer, and the Whizz pushed open the door to where his flying carpet was still hovering over the stoop.  “I must say goodbye for now.  However, don’t be a stranger, and know you always have a friend in the Wonderful Wizard.”

          He stepped on the carpet and it lifted off before flying away.  “And pop those feathered devils in the kisser for me.”  Blueflower waved until he disappeared over the cliff.

          She inhaled and exhaled a sigh.  This world and even this castle just would not stop with the surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Wonderful Wizard is yet another character from the comic. He was the one who told Spike of Majesty when she was first looking for a home. He also showed in person when he was mixing up spells because his fingers were so sticky from honey he was getting the pages of his books stuck together.


	8. Long Live the Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an encounter with the local Fjord Earl, Blueflower decides the ponies need a more formal title.

          One of the benefits of replacing all the solei quartz of the castle was finding the last of the out of the way chambers.  While they had come across the vault in their earlier searches, it took this one to find the armory.

          Sparkler was beyond elated at hearing that word.  An armory meant weapons and other tools of combat.  While she loved gems and always her one eye looking for them, her true passion was explosives and related fields.  From fireworks to industrial explosives meant to implode skyscrapers, she had an unquenchable love for things that went boom. 

          Though, it was not just the desire to watch something explode that had her going through the tight halls of the castle’s underbelly.  Hearing of the harpies was enough to give her nightmares, and she wondered if she would be able to sleep that night—or ever again—after meeting them in the flesh.

          They needed something other than the smattering of unicorn magic and less than a dozen pegasi to protect them from these monsters.  This castle having weapons meant they could bring firepower to the mix.

          “So, what kinds of instruments of delicious destruction do we have?” Sparkler asked, hardly holding back her gleeful anticipation.  “Rockets?  Cannons?  Bombs?  Anything that makes a really big boom and will reduce those harpies to a rain of singed feathers?”

          They came to a door and Wind Whistler pulled it open.  “This is what we have at our disposal.”

          Sparkler looked in and her heart dropped like a stone.  Their arsenal consisted of dozens of crossbows accompanied by quivers of short bolts, axes, hammers, swords ranging in size from short scabbards to long swords, and an assortment of daggers.  For defense, they had round shields made of wood with colorful patterns painted on them, shirts of mail, grieves, chest plates, gauntlets, and helmets with bars coming down between the holes for the eyes.

          Surprise leapt out with as much of the armor on her body as she could manage, but only showed how none of it was suited for ponies as it all fit wrong.  The helmet was also clearly meant for ceremony rather than battle with massive horns of a cow sticking out the sides.  If anything, this collection of archaic weaponry and armor was more likely to get her killed in any kind of fight than protect her.  Her clumsy swings of a scabbard in her pastern and inability to hold on to a shield were humiliating to watch.

          “Isn’t this the coolest stuff ever?”  Surprise lost her grip of the scabbard and it went flying into a wooden post.  “Well, we can’t really use it but it looks cool.”

          Sparkler just stood there in shock.  There was not one explosive device here.  Had these people even heard of gunpowder?  Sulfate, potassium phosphate, and charcoal: the simplest chemical formula ever, but you would think it was asking for cold fusion.  Actually, with Wind Whistler and her crazy level of intellect there, they were probably closer to cold fusion.

          Worst of all, the weapons did have—and calling many of these primitive instruments ‘weapons’ was being generous—seemed to be more for fighting an enemy on the ground rather than one that was airborne.  The crossbows might have been of some use if they were almost impossible for ponies to use the harpies carried longbows with better range and shot rate.

          “We’re all going to die,” was all Sparkler to get out at seeing just how unequipped they were.

* * *

          Blueflower inhaled deeply through her nostrils to take in the air.  She had been to the seaside many times in her long life, and she had always found the smell sea salt reinvigorating.  The smell of salt was almost too faint to notice at the head of the inlet where freshwater sat on top of the sea water, but the salt water was undeniably the surface as they approached the mouth and main trunk of the system.

          Firefly and Lofty tugged the wooden chariot along, kicking their hooves as if they were galloping—a compulsive behavior pegasi had when pulling something despite their wings doing the work.  She thanked the stars or whatever had providence here that their little trick of keeping vehicles airborne worked in this world.  Her old bones complained at the thought of walking all this way.

          “Why didn’t we just use the Bifröst?” Firefly asked, huffing for air a bit.

          Lofty seemed to be pulling her along with little trouble, but Firefly was sweating.  These two were not the hulks of royal guard pegasi that usually pulled chariots.  Unfortunately, they were all they had.  “We’re traveling to speak with whoever rules this fjord system,” Blueflower answered.  “It might raise suspicions if we simply popped into their capital and left just as suddenly.”

          “Don’t tell me you’re getting tired,” Lofty teased.  “I don’t feel like I’m really flying this low unless I have a harness across my barrel.”

          “I’m getting use to it,” Firefly replied.

          They came where their fjord opened into the main one which was so wide the opposite shore was almost to the horizon.  Blueflower had spent all her time in or near the castle—Dream Castle, she needed to remember it had a name—and this was her first time venturing far from it.  Seeing the breath of this one fjord, which was a narrow line on a map of this one landmass, made her feel truly small.

          “This is just one fjord,” Blueflower gasped.

          “I know,” Firefly said.  “It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?”

          “That is the understatement of the century, Firefly,” Blueflower responded.

          She looked down at the pin cushion of rocky spires reaching towards the surface from the sill marking the boundary between their fjord and the main one.  Some of the jagged rocks managed to poke up, but many where just below as Firefly and her team described.  No one with any sense would try to get a boat through it.

          Blueflower returned her attention to the main fjord.  “Where is the largest city?”

          “It’s a dozen or so kilometers north of here,” Firefly answered.

          “Then we should waste no time,” Blueflower said.

* * *

          The fjords had mostly steep walls, occasionally becoming sheer cliffs.  However, there were places where the walls descended more gently to the water.  It was these places that had been the most developed as farms, pastures, or communities.

          “There it is.”  Firefly pointed forward to a large collection of buildings on a peninsula formed by the main fjord and the mouth of another much larger than the ponies’ tiny branch.  The buildings were mostly tidy houses and stores arranged in blocks with streets in a radiating pattern towards the coast where each ended in a dock with larger warehouses and open markets.  Boats were docked, many slender longboats for transporting people and their wider and shorter cousins meant for cargo.  The roads joined at a large castle overlooking the city with its many stone towers.

          “Land us close to the castle,” Blueflower said.  She looked to the sun which was more than halfway between its noon height and the western horizon.  “Hopefully the fjord earl is seeing visitors.”

          As they flew over the dockside markets, Majesty noticed a heavy presence of large men in armor and holding long spears.  Judging by the wide berth everyone gave them, she suspected they were there to watch the markets—likely to ensure the taxes paid were in line with the business done.  Though, what taxes were collected seemed to be put to good use.  The streets were clean and the citizens appeared to be well groomed.  Most were humans, but there was an assortment of other species seeming to have roots in the rodent and carnivore orders.  Despite the heavy guard presence, the people also seemed free mingle and go about their business.

          “Kind of reminds me of Canterlot,” Bleuflower mused aloud.  “Well, if Canterlot wasn’t perched on a mountain removed from the rest of the country.”

          “Do you ever not bag on Canterlot?” Firefly asked.

          “When I’m sleeping I think,” Blueflower answered with a smirk.  “I’ve been banging my head against Canterlot society since before your parents were tinkles in their parents’ eyes.  A little depreciating humor is a healthy survival tool.”

          They gained attention as their shadows passed over the street.  Some, especially children, stopped and watched them go by.  However, most ducked into the nearest building.  They were scared of them—or anything airborne at least.  It made Blueflower wonder if news of the harpies had reached this fjord or if it was just a long instilled fear brought to the forefront.

          They landed on the street at the perimeter wall of the castle.  The gate was up, but there were guards at the outer wall as well as the inner wall.  Lofty and Firefly worked themselves out of their harnesses as Blueflower leapt from the chariot.

          The cobblestone was uncomfortable under her hooves, much too hard compared to the soapstone Canterlot used.  No wonder everyone wore shoes on their planted feet.  Actually, all the species had feet that made contact with the ground from toes to heel, even those resembling species that stood on their toes.  Their hands also all had an opposable thumb set aside from the cluster of four fingers—though Majesty remembered Wind Whistler described the avian harpies having only three fingers and a thumb.  Standing on all four of what would be the middle finger nail on these people, Blueflower realized even in this hodgepodge of sentient creatures they were truly alien.

          Alien or not, they were here and had business with the fjord earl.  Blueflower strolled up to the guards—a pair of humans clad in metallic armor and holding spears longer than they were tall.  If they were anything like the royal guards of Canterlot, a title was enough to impress them to allow entry.  “Excuse me, gentlemen.”

          The two guards took their spears in both hands and squatted into a more defensive stance.  At least, Blueflower figured it was a more defensive stance for these bipeds.  They looked round at the eye level of humans before looking down at her.

          They looked to each other and spread their mouths into grins.  “This is a new one.  Where do you think the ventriloquist is hiding?”

          Blueflower’s mouth dropped out of impulse.  “I’m the one talking, you mountains of muscle.”

          The two guards stared at her in what could only be described as shock.  She should probably get use to it in this world.

          “I am Lady Blueflower from Equestria,” Blueflower said, regaining a refined tone.  “I was hoping to have a brief audience with your fjord earl to announce the presence of myself and my fellow ponies and negotiate some economic matters.”

          “What’s with the tiny horse?” a nasally voice asked.

          A man in his late teens or early twenties stomped through the tunnel made in the wall.  He had sticks for limbs and a pudgy gut.  His eyes were beady behind a massive nose coming to a sharp point.  The gold and jeweled crown on his head suggested royalty.

          “I am a pony,” Blueflower replied, bowing.  “Are you the fjord earl?”

          “He is Prince Lawzer,” one of the guards answered, “heir to Fjord Earl Stonebrook.”

          “Thank Celestia,” Lofty said just loud enough for Blueflower to pick up.

          “What for?” North Star asked.  “He’ll be in charge someday.”

          Prince Lawzer stopped.  “You talk?!”

          “If only I got a bit for every time I’m going to hear that,” Blueflower mumbled under her breath.  “Yes, we can talk.  We come from a far away land, and found ourselves in a small fjord not too far from here with rock formations at its mouth.”

          “Ah, yes,” Prince Lawzer mused, “the Appendix Fjord.  It’s of little use, so if you want it you can have it.”

          “Can I get that from your father?” Bueflower asked.  “I also want to discuss trade and other matters.”

          Prince Lawzer planted his bony hands on his flabby hips and looked down on her.  “My father has far too busy to talk to a freak.”

          “Freak?!” Blueflower exclaimed before she could think better of it.  “I’ll have you know I was a lady of the royal court in my home country.”

           “What is going on here?” a voice boomed.

          A large man strolled down the tunnel, his metal greaves clacking against the stone.  A white curtain of hair fell from his face with several braids decorated with beads.  His mouth was bent into a frown that seemed to be its natural position.

          “Father!” Prince Lawzer squeaked.  “I was just talking with this…”

          “Pony,” Blueflower reminded him.

          “Pony,” Prince Lawzer said.  “She and her kind have apparently taken up residence in the Appendix Fjord.”

          The man’s mouth bent upwards somewhat and he bobbed his head.  “In the old castle, I assume.”

          “Yes,” Blueflower answered.  “You know of it?”

          “I played in it when I was a lad,” the man answered.  “But, I should introduce myself.  I’m Stonebrook, Fjord Earl of the Grand Trunk Fjord.”

          “Lady Blueflower of Equestria.”  Blueflower bowed.  “I wanted to speak with you about economic arrangements.  We have orchards of Baldwin apples and Ulster cherries, the latter of which will be ripe soon.  We were hoping to sell some of our harvest here.”

          “Which would require my warrant,” Earl Stonebrook finished her thought for her.  “Well, we can discuss that when you have product and we can see its quality.”

          _He is a shrewd businessman,_ Blueflower thought.  She certainly would want to see a communities’ harvest before discussing a price.  She might actually come to like him.  “Then we we’ll bring our first harvest for your personal inspection.”

          Stonebrook licked his lips, apparently looking forward to cherries for ‘inspection’.  “Is there anything else, Lady Blueflower?  As you know, the hour is growing late.”

          Blueflower decided against bringing up the slur his son used.  The harpies might also be a matter better not mentioned.  Who knows how they would react?  “I have nothing else that could be resolved today.  I just wanted to meet the new neighbors.”

          Stonebrook’s mouth returned to its natural frown.  “Then perhaps we will meet later, Lady Blueflower.”

          Blueflower bowed her head and turned to Lofty and North Star.  “Well, this was great use of our time,” Lofty grumbled.

          “One step at a time,” Blueflower replied.  “We’ve announced our presence and when we have cherries to sell, we’ll bring them here.  We have some money, so let’s see what there is for sale here.  We can then head back and plan our next move.”

          “Lady Blueflower,” Stonebrook called from behind them.  Blueflower turned to him.  “Is it merely ‘Lady’?” he asked.

          “Yes,” Blueflower answered.  “My land gives no ruling authority to the nobility, but I am the highest ranking of our group.”

          “It’s just kind of odd to hear,” Stonebrook said.  “The heads of the different branches have titles of authority.”  He chuckled.  “A couple even call themselves kings, even though they serve under me.  If you want to be treated with some respect here, I suggest you think of a title with some more heft.”

          Bleuflower smirked.  “Perhaps, but would you say the same thing if I was Lord Blueflower?”

          Stonebrook grinned and exhaled a chuckle.  “I see your concern, but I can tell you my advice would be the same.”

          “We’ll take it under advisement then,” Blueflower replied.  In fact, that sent some thoughts through her mind.

* * *

          Wind Whistler walked up the stairs to the top floor of the keep.  There were pairs of tall doors to the sides and the broadest doors were at the opposite end, leading to the chambers Blueflower had claimed.

          “I wonder why Lady Blueflower wants to meet us in private,” Galaxy mused aloud.

          “She just said she wanted to see the three of us before she had even left the chariot,” Magic Star answered.

          Magic Star pushed down on the handle and pulled the door open.  They stepped in and the first thing that caught Wind Whistler’s eye was Blueflower looking into the mirror with the gold tiara they had found resting in her mane.  She was not admiring herself—if she was taking any satisfaction, Wind Whistler could not tell.  She seemed to be examining her and the tiara more critically.

          Blueflower turned to them.  “Ah.  What do you think, ladies?”

          After a pause to let it sink in, Magic Star answered, “I think it suits you.”

          Blueflower returned her gaze to her reflection.  “I have to commend the craftsmanship.”  She turned from side to side to take in the whole tiara.  “The Princess’s crowns and other regalia have no sense of artistic style—just jagged chunks of precious metal with jewels jammed in them.  From the gold leaf flower to the delicate setting of the diamond, this was a labor of love.”

          She levitated the tiara from her head and set it down gently on the vanity.  She turned the three.  “I managed to speak briefly with the fjord earl.  He is a sharp ruler—someone who could invaluable as an ally or terrible as an enemy.”

          “Will we be able to sell our cherries?” Wind Whistler asked.  Even with the stores and the treasure they sat on, she wanted to know they had income in this place.

          “If they hold up to the earl’s inspection,” Blueflower answered.  “However, he had me thinking about something more long-term.  I wanted to speak with you three before the others.”

          “About what?” Galaxy asked.

          “As you know, I am—or was—a lady of Princess Celestia’s court for more than a century,” Blueflower said.  “My family is in fact descended from the old unicorn kings from before the Equestrian Unification.  However, I held no true political power in Equestria.  I’m wondering if that is something that needs to change here.”

          “We already elected you our leader,” Magic Star said.

          Blueflower pointed her.  “That you did.  However, my title is still that of lady, and that title apparently holds little weight here.  I was thinking of taking on a more formal one.”

          “Such as?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “Why not swing for the fences and go with queen?” Blueflower asked rhetorically.  She levitated the tiara and slipped it onto her head again.

          Magic Star broke the ensuing silence with a poorly stifled chuckle.  “You’re joking, right?”

          Blueflower took the crown from her head.  “I don’t see why not.  I’m the highest ranking pony on…” she trailed off.

          “Tellus,” Wind Whistler reminded her of the given name for this world.

          “Thank you,” Blueflower said.  She set the tiara on the vanity again.  “Outside of the initial shock, what do you think?”

          “I think it’s a perfect idea,” Galaxy said without the slightest hint of sarcasm of in her voice.  Though, Wind Whistler did not know why she was looking for any.

          Wind Whistler had not logical reason to object.  It was unorthodox, but orthodox had been left an entire world behind them.  “I concur with Galaxy.”

          “What about you, Magic Star?” Blueflower asked.

          “Thanks for putting me on the spot, ladies,” Magic Star murmured.  There was some sarcasm to her response.  She drew in a breath and sighed.  “What’s in a name?  And I’m actually asking.  What does you becoming queen mean for us?”

          “In terms of how we run ourselves, nothing,” Blueflower answered.  “We will continue to govern ourselves as we agree on that first evening.  However, with a queen at our head, we will be more respected in this world.  Also, there is something else we need to consider.”

          “What’s that?” Magic Star asked.

          Blueflower grinned.  “Call a meeting in that two story room below us, and ask the other ponies what they think.  I’ll explain myself more in depth to all of you.”

          “Of, course, Queen Blueflower,” Galaxy said, the title and name together flowing from her tongue as easily as water flowed over a cliff.  “Come along, you two.”

          Wind Whistler and Magic Star followed the Crystal Empire unicorn out of the room.  _Queen Blueflower,_ she repeated in her mind.  It would take some getting use to, but she could manage it.  Though, she wondered what her other reason was.

* * *

          Everyone gathered in that room with the sloped floor and blackboards.  It was the best choice for a meeting room, designed for it with a large number able to observe instructions voiced or written from the stage.  Wind Whistler took a seat in the back row, giving her a full view of the room.  Fizzy sat next to her, and Shady next to Fizzy.

          Blueflower stepped up onto the platform and placed the tiara on the podium off to the side.  She stamped her hoof, sending a hollow knocking sound throughout the room and bringing the attention of everyone to her.  “Let’s start with a sitrep on the solei quartz.  Is every crystal replaced?”

          “Right down to the last sconce,” Sparkler said.  “And as our guest said, there are three sets total.”

          “Good,” Blueflower replied.  “We’ll put the old set out to charge tomorrow morning, weather permitting.  In the meantime, we have other business.

          “That business falls on me.  You made me the leader of this little group,” Blueflower said, levitating the tiara next to her.  “The question is if I should walk around wearing a tiara and be called ‘Queen’ for it.”

          Some hushed murmurs go through the crowd.

          “I said this to Magic Star already, but not even Equestria has a queen,” Applejack pointed out.  “That’s what Chrysalis of the old Changeling Hive called herself.”

          “The Crystal Empire also had a queen before Sombra conquered it,” Galaxy replied.  “Princess Cadance was installed as ruler by Princess Celestia upon its return.”

          “The old changelings also called this a head.”  Blueflower pointed to her head.  “Should we call it something different simply because they used the term?”

          Applejack sank back to some quiet giggles.

          “Equestria had queens early in its history as well, though briefly,” Blueflower said.  “Let me tell you a little more about our history than probably most of you know.

          “Before the Long Winter, the three tribes had different forms of government.  The earth ponies would elect one of their burgermiesters to the position of chancellor who served as their supreme leader.  The pegasi had a senate of elected representatives as their governing until Commander Hurricane used the crisis of the Long Winter to institute martial law and military rule.  Only the unicorns were ruled by a hereditary monarchy.

          “When Equestria was formed, each tribe wanted to make their form of government the one for their new, united nation.  The earth ponies and especially pegasi did not want leadership to be inherited, but the unicorns insisted on a royal position.  A compromise was made, creating the position of queen as the supreme ruler of the land.  It was a lifetime position, but it would not necessarily pass on to her eldest daughter.  Instead, a new queen would be elected upon the death or, as it turned out to be the tradition, retirement of the previous ruler.

          Blueflower paused and her glance slid to the side.  “I suppose I would have to think of a new name as well since a new queen would choose a new, more regal-sounding name upon being crowned,” she mused.

          She returned her attention to the crowd.  “There were at least three before Discord came, and after they overthrew him, Celestia and Luna were named rulers.  Celestia preferred to be called princess, so she made that the ruling title.

          “Also, I’m not an alacorn with apparently eternal youth.  I’m a—admittedly powerful—unicorn in the…let’s just say late afternoon of her life.  ‘Queen’ would actually be a more appropriate title for my position as the leader of our little enclave.”

          “So, you’re saying you should go all the way back to that?” Paradise asked.  “I can already see my old history teachers retch at the notion.”

          “I don’t doubt that,” Blueflower replied.  “I’m not going to mince words here.  I have little stomach for how Equestria conducts itself and observes its history.  Scholars, for whatever agenda it serves, have been quite thorough in casting what came before the alacorns and their harmony in a dim light.  We teach our fillies and colts to put on plays of half truths and stereotypes about the founding of our nation portraying the three tribes are ignorant savages before the enlightenment of friendship _allowed_ them to create Equestria.  We ignore the virtues of those imperfect but once proud and accomplished civilizations and the vices of our own more advanced but still very flawed culture.  That might work in Equestria with its population of a hundred million ponies, shining cities, well developed infrastructure, demigod rulers, and few enemies outside of the laundry list of abominations from Princess Celestia’s past; but we’re not in Equestria anymore.”

          Another wave of murmurs washed through the crowd.  Wind Whistler had to agree based on the general trend in her compulsory absorption of knowledge.  She knew how the media and most mainstream teaching broke down into the basic argument of ‘Past bad: present good’.  It never made her comfortable as she remembered the adage, ‘those who do not learn from their history are doomed to repeat it’.

          Blueflower stamped her hoof to get everyone’s attention again.  “My point is we need to be more open-minded here.  This world is more like ours was in those supposedly dark days.  Its peoples are broken up into factions by geography and probably biology.  We’ve already made an enemy with physical power, technology, and quite probably numbers on their side—one that can’t simply be swept away with a friendship-powered death ray, and I doubt have any desire to listen to our preachy arguments for friendship.  We need to draw from our history—all of our history from when the three tribes lived separately to the moment we left—if we are to survive, let alone flourish here.”

          She drew in a breath and slowly exhaled it.  “We also need to discuss this because of the reality before us.  When we first awoke in this castle, we could have just been an unlucky bunch of strangers caught up in some strange spell or other magic phenomenon.  If that was the case, then all this would be a mute point.  We just being a group trying to get home or at least survive this strange new world.

          “However, when we found Galaxy and the others in the desert, we have to assume there are other ponies out there—ripped from Equestria like us and cast upon this world.  It very well could just be the ponies in this room; but it could be dozens, scores, hundreds, thousands, who knows how many are out there in scattered groups.  If there are hundreds or thousands of ponies in this world, then we need to build a nation in which we can come together and present a united identity.”

          “A nation with you as ruler,” Lickety-Split said.

          “Unless there are any objections,” Blueflower replied.

          She set down the tiara.  “However, it is really just for semantics to us.  It would make little difference regarding how we live our lives here.  I am already the leader, and we agreed to run this as a direct democracy.  Call me queen, princess, duchess, baroness, simply lady; and none of that will change.  I had little taste for absolute rule in Equestria, and my tastes have not changed here.  I will not exert my will for the sole purpose of exerting it, since someone else could be right.

          “The possible benefit pointed out to me is if we are here for the duration and need to build a nation for all ponies whisked to this place, having our leader called a queen would make our presence appear more legitimate to other governments who we might trade or ally ourselves with.”

          “I have no problem with calling you queen,” Wind Whistler said.

          “I thank you for the vote of confidence, but you were a part of our original conversation,” Blueflower said.

          “I don’t either,” Fizzy added.  “Will you wear that crown?”

          Blueflower chuckled and glanced to the headdress.  “Only on special occasions, and it’s actually more of a tiara.”

          “I agree with Fizzy,” Shady said.  “We can’t do this by ourselves, and if other countries would be more willing to help a queen, then we should have one.”

          “It’s been moved and seconded,” Magic Star said.  “Everyone in favor of granting Blueflower the title of queen signify by raising your hoof and saying yea.”

          “Yea,” echoed through the room, and all in attendance raised their hooves.   Though, a few were more tepid.

          “Against?” Magic Star asked.

          There was silence and all hooves lowered.

          Blueflower picked up the tiara with her magic.  “I didn’t think it would be unanimous, but thank you.”

          “WAIT!” Heart Throb shouted.

          Blueflower stopped and all eyes turned to the pink pegasus.

          “You can’t just put the crown on,” Heart Throb declared.  “We must have a coronation ceremony.  Even if it’s just a simple one.”

          Blueflower set the tiara down.  “All right.  I suppose we might as well do this by the book.”

          “If you’re going to be our queen, what’s the name of our land?” Galaxy asked.

          “We know everyone calls this the Appendix Fjord,” Firefly said, “but I really hate that name.”

          “It does sound rather distasteful coming off the tongue,” Blueflower said.  “This castle’s previous owner referred to it as Dream Valley.  It’s a bit whimsical, but works.”

          “We should still have a name that is more related to us,” Posey said.  “What about Pony Land, it literally means ‘Country of Ponies’ by the way earth ponies use to name things.”

          “Sounds a too bit obvious,” Cherries Jubilee pointed out.

          Posey shrugged.  “The old earth pony language was not much for subtly when it came to naming things.”

          “How about we call the geologic formation Dream Valley and our nation Pony Land?” Blueflower asked.  “Are there any objections to that?”

          All were quiet.

          “Then I suppose we might as well put this tiara on my head the right way and do what you do with a newly crowned queen,” Blueflower said.

* * *

          The coronation ceremony was barely a ceremony.  They just gathered in the ballroom, and Galaxy wrote up a quick oath based on the one for crowning the leader of the Crystal Empire.  Buttons had also disappeared with Blueflower, Bow-Tie, and Ribbon into a room with some fabric for maybe a half hour.

          Wind Whistler took her place along the edge of the carpet with Fizzy and Shady on either side of her.  Some ponies were excited by the prospect, discussing amongst themselves in whispers with broad grins.  Wind Whistler just saw it as the formality it was.  Blueflower could just put the crown on her head and call herself queen as far as she was concerned.  The pageantry was just for show, but it apparently meant something to others.

          Though, living under a ruler who had a reign approaching twelve centuries, she had never seen a coronation before.  It being a new experience caught her attention somewhat.

          They stood in line on both edges of the carpet to bracket the path to the throne.  Galaxy stood next to the thrown with a sheet of paper suspended in her magic.  Ribbon and Bow-Tie were the last to join, having gotten Blueflower ready, and took their position at the ends.

          Blueflower walked down the grand staircase wearing a red cloak trimmed with white fur and tied around her neck with a white ribbon.  The golden shoes gleamed on her hooves.  Buttons followed behind her.  Blueflower’s mane had been styled with the white streak braided, something that could be done quickly but looked elegant.  The cloak also had a large ‘M’ under a crown in gold leaf sewn to the sides.  Apparently, she had decided to go with a new name and it started with ‘M’.  She stepped up onto the platform and sat on the throne.

          Wind Whistler and the others stepped out of their lines into rows so they could see.

          “Oh, darlings, this is so exhilarating,” Heart Throb swooned.  “We’re witnessing a real coronation.”

          “The absolute bare bones version,” Paradise whispered to Cherries Jubilee, but Wind Whistler managed to hear.

          Galaxy cleared her throat.  “Blueflower, the ponies of Pony Land have bestowed their blessing onto you to be named their queen.  As queen, do you swear on your very life and soul that you will give all that you have to defend and represent the ponies of this land and all that they stand for?  Will you protect their peace and prosperity?  Will you lend aid to those they call friends and ward off any who threaten them?  Will you not squander their abilities or lead them in foolhardy jeopardy?  Will you preside over a country that encourages the flourishing of culture and discovery?  Since we have chosen democracy as our form of government; will you serve as its leader, advisor, and advocate; but not interfere with its process and defer to its rulings short of impending disaster?  Will you carry out these aforementioned duties to the best of your abilities?”

          “I swear on my very life and soul that I will,” Blueflower said.

          Galaxy turned to the crowd.  “Do you, those who would be this queen’s subjects, pledge your loyalty to her?  This is not simply following her commands blindly; but seeing to the welfare of her, her country, and her subjects to the best of your abilities.  Do you pledge?”

          “We do pledge!” everyone announced.

          “As do I,” Galaxy said.

          She turned to Blueflower.  “You have sworn to your duties as queen, and your subjects have sworn loyalty to you.  Now, may I ask, by how you will be referred to as queen?”

          “Once I am crowned, I will no longer be Blueflower,” Blueflower said.  “I will henceforth be called Majesty.”

          “Then, I hereby crown you Queen Majesty the First.”  Galaxy placed the tiara on Blueflower—no, Majesty’s head.  “Queen and sovereign of Pony Land and all who reside within its borders, as well as lady and mistress of Dream Castle.  All the powers, privileges, and responsibilities of those titles are now yours.”

          The ponies stamped their hooves and cheered, “Long live Queen Majesty.”

          Majesty held up their hoof and everyone quieted down.  “Thank you for this honor.  Though, again, it really doesn’t change anything.  I could make a big long speech, but I don’t feel like waxing on about being queen of thirty-seven ponies.  However, I do want to point out the irony that we’ve gathered where most of us awakened just two days ago.  We were completely lost, and while we are still in the darkness, we have each other.  Never forget that even in your darkest moments.

          “Anyway, let’s go grab dinner.  I’m hungry.”

          Wind Whistler could not help but grin at the end of Majesty’s ‘speech.’ 

          “And dinner tonight is going to feature cookies for desert,” Cupcake declared.

          Whoops and cheers came from the crowd as it dispersed.

          “Are we kind of surrendering to staying here?” Shady asked.  “We just formed a government.”

          “We do not have a feasible means to return to Equestria at present,” Wind Whistler answered as they joined the crowd leaving.  “I wouldn’t call it surrendering, but planning for a very real possibility.”

          Fizzy skipped along.  “Besides, a castle needs queen.  It just makes sense.”

* * *

          Blueflower—or rather Majesty, she was going to have to get use to thinking of herself by that name and answering to it—watched Wind Whistler walk up the stairs with Fizzy and Shady.  She had just been named queen of all of these ponies, and that one still grabbed her attention.  Perhaps it was because the young pegasus pony reminded her of herself at that young age.  She was intelligent but extremely shy and reserved, even more so than Majesty had been.  Even in a crowd, she was in a lonely ivory tower all to herself.  That was where she kept her emotions and true self while most ponies wore them on their sleeve.  She could see it in Wind Whistler’s eyes, how that mind was always going even on things impossibly far away.  Majesty had lived in such a tower of the mind, and it made it very hard to really appreciate what was in front of your muzzle.  So, seeing Wind Whistler with even just two friends filled her with joy like watching a daughter—or more like a grandchild given the difference in age.

          After they disappeared from view along with the others so she was alone, Majesty let it sink in that she was queen of this tiny country they had formed.  Granted, it was a country headed for extinction unless they found stallions here or some way to create the next generation without them.  That was even assuming they did not find a way home.  Still, everything in this valley and those living there were her responsibility.  It was a nebulous concept when they called her leader, but having a tiara on her head made it seem more real.

          Tomorrow morning was going to be a simple task, setting out their spare solei quartz to charge.  They needed to take it one step at a time as she had told her chariot pullers that afternoon.

          She left the throne and walked towards a mirror between two of the columns, likely there for the ladies to check themselves in case they need to reapply makeup and adjust their clothing.  The reflection was of her covered by a red cloak and wearing that gold tiara.

          “Something we’re going to do is bring back the real magic of friendship,” she said to her reflection.  “Equestria has allowed friendship to be hollowed out by Twilight Sparkle and her little clique, robbed of all its true meaning.  Here, we have a chance to start fresh and embrace its more subtle but far more substantial powers.”

          She then remembered the task looming ahead of them.  The harpies were out there with that girl as their captor and coveting the locket they had.  Whether she was queen, lady, or a pony with no title at all; facing them was daunting.  Yet it was coming sooner or later, and they were going to need that true power of friendship when that day came.

* * *

          Wantall drummed his fingers on the wooden table, contemplating the issue in front of him.  He had been waiting for that old coot to kick the bucket so he could claim the castle.  It would be a perfect addition to his collection and a more luxurious home than his mountainside fortress.  He finally does, and suddenly there is a whole passel of pastel ponies in it.  They needed to be evicted.  It was as simple as that.  Direct force was out of the question with that old pony—a unicorn is what she called herself—and her magic, so he was going to have to get smart.

          “Here’s your sugar ale, sir.”  The waitress placed a large mug with a foaming, white head spilling over the top down in front of him.

          “Thank you, my dear.”  Wantall put the needed silver coins plus the minimum tip down on the table, and the waitress slipped them into the pocket of her skirt.

          Board beavers made up the entirety of the staff and majority of the clientele of this foothills tavern.  The buck-toothed, flat-tailed, water rodents had pelts ranging from pale beige to brown to reddish-brown, to black.  Most of the customers—board beaver and human—were lumberjacks wearing plaid shirts with the sleeves rolled up past their elbows in this hot weather and stocker caps.  He definitely stuck out in this crowd, but they seemed to not care.

          The tavern had a constant smell of wood both from the debarked logs it was built from and the dinners of branches of leaves the board beavers were having.  The few human customers were served lake trout, but Wantall was not in the mood for fish.  He just wanted something sweet going down his gullet before going back to his mountain home and his collection.

          A collection that did not include that castle.  He fumed for a second and grabbed the mug.  He just got a mouthful of the sweet liquid when the door opened loudly.

          Wantall put his mug down and turned to the door.  Two creatures so tall they had to stoop to avoid the beams walked in.  The board beavers dove for cover, and even the human customers backed away in their seats.  The two bird women sat at a table.

          The one with the vibrant blue hair held up her finger that ended in a sharp claw.  “Two sugar ales, please.”

          Wantall went back to his drink.  They were just two more customers for the evening.

          “Sugar ales?” the other asked.  “I need something stronger than that.”

          Wantall chugged a couple gulps of his sugar ale.  He never understood the desire to consume a known toxin.  Something sweet in his mouth was all he needed to take the edge off.

          “Do you really want to go back to Alecta empty-taloned _and_ —” the first started to say.

          “Okay, okay,” the second responded, cutting the first off.  “The last thing we need is another reason for Alecta’s wrath to come down on us.”

          “Besides, if you bothered to read the sign on the wall,” the first fumed, “you would have seen this is a dry establishment anyway.”

          “I get the point!” the second snapped.

          “We shouldn’t be going into each other,” the first said, trying to make herself calm down and massaging her temple.  “It’s just been a frustrating day.  We’ve been on the wing all afternoon up and down this maze of valleys and we haven’t seen hide or hair of those blasted, rainbow-colored ponies.”

          Wantall was halfway through swallowing when he heard the p-word come up in their conversation.  He instinctively tried to take in a breath but inhaled the fizzy beverage instead.  He slammed down his mug and coughed as his airway cleared itself of the liquid.  He quickly looked around to see of others had taken notice, but they seemed mostly oblivious.

          He turned to the two creatures.  They carried longbows and large quivers stuffed with arrows.  Their hands and feet also ended in long, sharp claws.  An idea popped into his head seeing these beautiful examples of predatory biology.  The best part was he could get exactly what he wanted without lifting a finger.

          Wantall stood up and strolled casually towards the two creatures.

          “Can we get some service here, you bark-munching rodents?”  The bird creature with blue hair slammed her fist on the table so hard it caused the salt and pepper shakers to jump clear into the air and clatter on the table.

          The other picked up a pinch of the spilled salt and tossed it over her shoulder.

          Wantall cleared his throat which was still being tickled by a bit of his ale.  “Excuse me—my fine, lovely ladies.  Forgive my eavesdropping, but I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation especially with regards to a population of colorful ponies.”

          The two looked at him with glowers of irritation.  Understandable since he was intruding.  “And what would a tub of lard like you know about ponies?” the one with the blue hair asked with a sneer, looking him up and down.

          Wantall allowed himself a cruel chuckle.  What did he know about ponies indeed?


	9. Alecta the Relentless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The harpies come to Dream Castle, but the ponies have plan. Those who have encountered the harpies hide while the other feign ignorance. However, will their little ruse save them from Alecta?

          Wind Whistler heaved a sigh and slouched.

          “Stand up straight, please!” Buttons barked as she held a measuring tape to ground.  “I need these measurements to be precise.”

          Wind Whistler straightened her legs, and Buttons pulled the measuring tape taunt up to the top of her shoulders with her magic.  She brought it over to her face, holding it at the point where it reached Wind Whistler’s height and wrote in her note book.

          Masquerade was off to the side, sketching in a larger notebook.  She stopped for a second to think before sketching some more.

          “May I inquire why I am the first one you are taking the measurements of?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “I need a pegasus because I’m planning to have closable wing holes in these outfits,” Masquerade said, looking up from her notebook before going back to sketching.  “We also figured you would be the most cooperative and quiet.”

          Wind Whistler should have expected that response.  Though, thinking of the others, she was right.  Of course, she could have also had herself measured if she could put down that sketch pad.

          “Extend you wing, please,” Buttons instructed.

          Wind Whistler complied, extending her left wing to its full length.  Buttons measured its width where it joined her body, the length to the elbow and then past the elbow, and where the feathers were at their widest.  “Okay, you can close it.”

          Wind Whistler closed her wing as Buttons continued to take measurements.  She started at the base of her neck and went down her back to her tail.

          Masquerade sketched until she dropped her pencil.  “Now _this_ is a thing of beauty.”

          Buttons jotted down another measurement, the circumference of Wind Whistler’s barrel just behind her legs if the position of the measuring tape was any indication.  She dropped the measuring tape and went over to see.  “It’s definitely a fancy one.”

          “I figured it would be a good use of the remaining fabric from making Lady Blueflow—I mean Queen Majesty’s cloak,” Masquerade said.

          “May I see?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “Sure.”  Masquerade turned the notebook around to show a basic sketch of a mare’s silhouette dressed in a more elaborately drawn outfit.  The dress completely covered the barrel before the haunches with a skirt flaring out from the waist much like the tutu of Skydancer’s costume with what looked like a second skirt over it.  A ribbon marked the division between the bodice and the skirt and was tied in a bow on top of the back.  The sleeves were short puffballs on the front legs and the neck was fringed with a broad collar.  Shoes with bows covered the hooves and just the front of a bonnet served as a hat.  Notes stated the main color would be red with white sleeves and the collar, second skirt, and frills of the sleeves would be lace.

          “I have some others in mind too,” Masquerade mused aloud.  “However, I’m going to start with this one.”

          “It’s rather extravagant,” Wind Whistler commented.

          “It’s going to be one of the fancier costumes,” Masquerade replied.  “Though, it’s missing something that would really make it complete.  I just need to think of that last element.”

          “Besides, I’ll be the one sewing it.”  Buttons looked at the notebook.  “We could add a little more poof to the sleeves.”

          “I don’t see the logic in dedicating resources into making costumes,” Wind Whistler said.  “They serve no practical purpose, so why take the time?”

          Masquerade balanced the notebook under her front legs.  “Because it’s fun to get all done up and pretend you’re someone new.  You should see the annual costume balls in the Crystal Empire.”  She frowned.  “Not those garish monstrosities you see on Nightmare Night or at most conventions, but elegant costumes that hearken back to an age where clothing was a true craft.  It’s an escape, a chance to get away from reality and live a short time in a world fantasy.  It might not be practical, but it’s something we need on a different level.”

          “Though I have some plans of my own for more practical clothes,” Buttons added.  “Mainly active wear and heavy weather gear.  After seeing that storm when we first got here, I think our coats might not be enough protection from the elements.”

          “That sounds all well and good, but while the treasure vault and its riches seem boundless,” Wind Whistler said, “they are still finite.  Proper food is a higher priority than clothing and finery.”

          “If we get the thumbs up from Earl Stonebrook, we’ll be selling part of our cherry and apple harvests,” Masquerade replied.  "The expression is thumbs up, right?"

          “I’m aware of that,” Wind Whistler said.  “Though, we should be cautious with our resources.”

          “I can at least sketch,” Masquerade said.

          “One issue I will run into is I’m going to need a pony to actually assemble these costumes on,” Buttons said.  “Unfortunately pony-shaped body molds don’t exist in this world.”

          Wind Whistler knew where this was leading.  “As long as you are extremely careful with any pins.”

          Masquerade gasped.

          “What?” Wind Whistler asked at the same time as Buttons.

          “I just realized these outfits need a piece of jewelry to go with them.”  Masquerade pointed to the locket Wind Whistler had hanging around her neck.  “Like this one would have something like your locket.  Only I’m thinking either gold or silver with a ruby inset.”

          Buttons furrowed her brow.  “Here’s hoping we have a bumper crop for years to come.  Either that, or you’re better at haggling with diamond dogs than Sparkler is.”

          “The vault might also have pieces of jewelry we can use,” Masquerade suggested.  “We’ll have to ask Sparkler once she’s done with the inventory.”

          Wind Whistler tuned out their conversation as she looked down at the locket.  It was not _her_ locket.  She was just looking after it.  She had planned to leave it in a drawer of her dresser.  There was no logical reason to wear it constantly, its immediate purpose of unlocking the Bifröst having already been fulfilled and returning it to the Williams’ after saving their daughter and sister not even started on.  However, waking up this morning, she felt like its place was around her neck until she could return it to its rightful owner.

          That took her to the real priority in front of them.  The girl was still a captive of the harpies, and they did not even have a clue as to where she was being held or where they were based out of.  They had to be somewhere relatively close to the William’s ranch, though perhaps farther out because they could fly over the obstacles and roads something on land would have to contend with.

          “Hey, Wind Whistler,” Masquerade said, pulling Wind Whistler out of her thoughts.

          “Yes?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “What do you think of a pair of matching bloomers for this outfit?” Masquerade asked.

          “Uh, sure,” Wind Whistler answered, still not completely in the conversation.  “If you would excuse me, I believe I have somewhere else to be.”

          She turned to the door and descended back into her thoughts.  Though, the image of her in that outfit suddenly popped into the forefront of her mind.  Particularly, the view from the back.

          She turned back to the two.  “A pair of bloomers is actually a very good idea.  That design of skirt tends to focus attention on the posterior when viewed from behind, so something for modesty would be preferable.”

          “Thanks,” Masquerade called back.  She turned back to Buttons.  “How about the same material as the main body of the dress with lace frills?  They’re supposed to blend in with the dress.”

          Wind Whistler turned away and almost ran into Bow-Tie.  She had a box balanced on her back with colorful ribbons hanging over the edge.  “I’m sorry,” Wind Whistler said.  “I didn’t see you there.”

          “It’s fine,” Bow-Tie said.  “I wasn’t looking where I was going either.”

          Wind Whistler stepped aside so she could walk in.

          “Here are all the ribbons I bought,” Bow-Tie as Buttons levitated the box off her back and onto the floor.

          Buttons levitated a long, red ribbon out of the box.  “How does this one look?”

          “That’ll be perfect,” Masquerade replied.

          With that dealt with, Wind Whistler went back to more pressing matters.  Where could the harpies be based?

          She went straight to the library.  She needed to find books of maps or even just maps.  Granted, she would need Paradise’s dictionary and cheat to read the names of things on any older maps, but maybe something would jump out at her as the perfect home for the local, unfriendly bird monster.

          Paradise was sitting at a desk with an open book and a pencil in her mouth.  Wind Whistler came up behind and looked over her shoulder.  About half of the words in the message had Common translations under them.  It was still broken and scattered, partly because of missing words and partly because of a difference in syntax.

          Paradise looked up and jumped in her chair.  “I didn’t see you come up.”

          “Sorry,” Wind Whistler said.  She did not mean to sneak up on Paradise, but it was not the first time she had inadvertently approached a pony completely unnoticed.  She had soft hooves according to her mother whenever it happened to her.  “How is the translation coming?”

          “I’ll be done translating the words later today,” Paradise answered.  “Then I just need to correct it for modern grammar and syntax.  However, I’m starting to get the sense of it.”

          She held it up.  “I think it’s a confession as the language seems rather conciliatory.  It also appears to confirm what the Wonderful Wizard told Queen Majesty, that the first Valkyrie Queen found the machine down there and pretended it was given to her by the Borean gods to convince the people to follow her.”

          “A dynasty built on a con,” Wind Whistler exhaled.  It brought her back to her apprehension of trusting anyone in this world.  Even what was given to them as the supposed truth could be a fabrication.  There was that uncomfortable feeling of not knowing, and there seemed to be nothing to sooth it.

          “Even if it was built on a con, it was an impressive culture,” Paradise said.  “I’ve been looking at other books, and the Borean Empire had made several technological and cultural advances.  The empire did away with the more barbaric practices like slavery and the death penalty while encouraging the Boreans’ all ready advanced maritime engineering and exploration.  They had practical electricity, complex machinery.  Though, they did all this without ever developing gunpowder.”  She shrugged.  “It figures.  The one technology that would have helped them the most against the harpies.”

          “They probably found technology or schematics with the machine and used them,” Wind Whistler said.

          “That’s probably true, and this letter seems to indicate that as well,” Paradise said.  “Though, look at what we’re doing.  We’re using their old castle as the base of what we have here.  I mean it would just sit there and collect dust if no one used it.  Machines are meant to be useful, aren’t they?”

          Wind Whistler stopped to think about that.  Technology’s purpose was to be of use, and there was no shame in reviving lost technology.  If anything, it was a very logical endeavor.  “You’re right.”

          “Anyway”—Paradise set down the paper—“what brings you to my domain?”

          “Maps,” Wind Whistler answered.  “If we’re going to find the Williams girl, we need to find where the harpies would make their base.”

          Paradise pointed up to the second story balcony to the side where North Star was standing.  “North Star is way ahead of you.  She’s looking up maps as we speak.”

          Paradise leaned back.  “However, just so you know, if you want to go rattle their cage, I’m staying home.”

          “The day we got here, you were talking about a daring escape from an alien mothership,” Wind Whistler said.  “Lost your taste for adventure?”

          Paradise frowned.  “I’ll help anyway I can from here.  However, I’m not cut out for fighting those things, and I’ll be the first to admit it.  In the stories, the hero gets some kind of ability or item to make them powerful enough to fight the villain.  However, I’m still as weak a flier as ever.  If anything, I probably slowed you and North Star down.”

          “I suppose knowing your limits is a part of the fight,” Wind Whistler said.  “Though, they say we should only know our limits enough to break through them.”

          “Perhaps we can do that with something that doesn’t put us in constant mortal danger,” Paradise said.  “Anyway, good luck, Wind Whistler.”

          Wind Whistler spread her wings and flew up to the balcony.  North Star looked up from the map in front of her.  “Oh.  Hello, Wind Whistler.”

          “Hello, North Star,” Wind Whistler replied.  “It seems we came upon the same idea.”

          “Finding the harpies’ base?” North Star asked rhetorically.  “It would seem so.  Do you want to see?”

          North Star stepped aside and Wind Whistler looked at the map.  It was the map of all of Boreas they had set out when they first went scouting.  A massive peninsula separated from the mainland by a mountain range and having several fjords digging into the southern coast.  Smaller mountains separated the fjords and another range of mountains ran across its length with vast and mostly featureless plains to the north.  Most of the cities were on the southern coast and in the fjords with only a half dozen north of the mountains.  There was also artwork of icebergs in the sea north of it.  “Which do you think it bigger?  Boreas or Equestria?”

          “I don’t know,” North Star replied.  “Boreas is a lot bigger than I thought it would be.”

          Indeed.  According to the scale, it was as much as 1,500 kilometers wide and almost 3,000 kilometers long.  The map was quite detailed in the shape of the landmasses, but the mountains and settlements were more illustrations than actual representations of topographical and demographical data.

          “You said the Williams’ ranch about fifty kilometers from here,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Forty-seven to be exact.  That would put it about here.”  North Star pointed a side valley to an inlet represented by snaking lines rather than open like the other fjords.  “I still can’t believe Paradise was so tired after a couple dozen kilometers.”

          “I heard that!” Paradise snapped from the main floor.

          “Admittedly, it was probably the dramatic rise in altitude that was contributing more to her fatigue,” Wind Whistler said.

          She returned to her mind to the task at hand.  Paradise had already said she would not be fighting the harpies again.  The harpies came from the south southeast.  Wind Whistler drew a line with her hoof and it ran off the land into a large bay.  That was assuming they flew in a straight line and not taking a curving course to hide where they came from.  “We know they’re within striking distance of the William’s ranch.   Would you say five hundred kilometers is a reasonable range?”

          “I would say so,” North Star replied.

          “However, that would still leave almost half a million square kilometers of ground to cover.”  Wind Whistler sighed.  “We need to narrow things down.”  She rubbed her chin with the back of hoof.  “If I was a harpy, where would I make my base?”

* * *

          Shady was glad to have her favorite pair of sunglasses with her in this world.  If she had to choose one possession to take with her, it would be them.  They were kind of her icon, what made her Shady to those who saw her.  The rims were light blue, her favorite color, and they had a certain magic only she knew about.  However, right now their most mundane property of limiting light reaching her eyes was getting the most use.

          Between the solei quartz and the reflective sheet they were laying them out on, the sunlight reflecting off everything was glaring.  Other ponies had to squint or completely close their eyes and feel around for the crystals as they picked them up from their cases and set them out on the sheets.  However, Shady could just see them with barely any glare reaching her eyes.

          The cases had short, velvet-covered boxes stacked on top of each other with mirrored spaces where the crystals went between them.  It made sense, when she thought about it.  The crystals constantly gave off light, so keeping them in a mirrored container meant the light would be recycled.  Probably why all the fixtures had mirrors to close around them too.

          Shady helped Cherries Jubilee take out one of the longer crystals for a large chandelier.  They set it down on the reflective sheet and left it to soak up the sun.

          Cherries Jubilee took in a deep breath through her nostrils.  “Do you smell that?”

          Shady sniffed the air with seemed perfectly normal.  “Smell what?”

          “Those Ulster cherries are ripening,” Cherries Jubilee sighed contently.  “I love this time of year, even more than when the cherry blossoms come out in the spring.  Harvest season is always a big to do back home.  We have a big festival with parades and games and all kinds of food made from cherries.”

          She slouched as she exhaled a sigh.  “And I’ll miss it all.”

          “I’m pretty homesick too,” Shady replied.  “With summer coming, I would put on my favorite bathing suit and sunhat and lay on the beach.  I would watch the waves come in for hours.  But it’s also the start of hurricane season which I’m actually really glad I’m going to miss.”

          Cherries Jubilee glowered at Shady.  “Thanks a lot.”

          “What?” Shady asked as Cherries Jubilee stormed away.

          Shady went to another case and pulled out one of the medium length crystals for one of the smaller chandeliers in the hallway.  She knew what upset Cherries Jubilee.  She was missing what she had in Equestria, and Shady pointed out something bad about it.  She could not help it though, everything had a downside and it might as well be acknowledged.  Granted, there were no hurricanes in this fjord—at least she hoped not—but Equestria didn’t have harpies.

          She tried to figure which was worse.  Hurricanes were more devastating for sure, but actually being hit by one was up to blind chance.  The harpies could actually seek them out.

          “What’s that?” Sundance asked.

          She was pointing to the south.  Shady looked up and saw a cluster of specks just above the ridge.  She squinted and concentrated, and her sunglasses reacted by working their magic.  They magnified what she was looking at like a telescope until the specks were large enough to see they were creatures with large wings and faces kind of like humans.  In fact, they looked a lot like how Wind Whistler and the others had described harpies, and they were headed straight for them.

          Shady’s blood ran ice cold and she thought her heart would stop.  “HARPIES!”

          “Very funny, Shady,” Cherries Jubilee replied casually.

          “I mean it.”  She took off her sunglasses and placed them in front of Cherries Jubilee’s eyes.  “Look at them and concentrate.”

          Cherries Jubilee squinted and her eyes suddenly went wide as her jaw dropped.  “I don’t know how your glasses did that, but you’re right.”  She shouted to the others, “Harpies are coming!”

          Shady put her glasses back in her mane.  She remembered what Wind Whistler had said.  Two and half meters tall, arrows longer than a pony was tall, sharp talons on both the hands and the feet.  That was all coming straight for _them_.

          “What do we do? What do we do?! WHAT DO WE DO?!” Shady panicked, her hooves seeming to go in every direction at once as she tried to make sense of everything.  Her first instinct was to run, but there was nowhere to run.

          “Everyone back in the castle!” Cherries Jubilee shouted.

          “What about the quartz?” Sundance asked.

          “Forget the quartz!” Cherries Jubilee barked.  “Everyone in the castle!”

          She galloped for the open drawbridge and Shady followed with the others.  They ran across the wooden bridge, and Cherries Jubilee waited at the winch until they were all across.  She pushed the lever up and the winch pulled the chains in to bring up the drawbridge.

          “That’ll be a lot of help,” Bubbles commented.

          “Just shut up and go in!” Cherries Jubilee pointed at the front doors.

          They rushed in and Cherries Jubilee hit the button on a panel that was part of the intercom system.  “Attention all residents of Dream Castle.”  Her voice came from the speakers as well.  “We have several harpies entering Dream Valley as we speak.”  She stopped.

          Shady realized there was nothing they could do.  They were trapped.

          “Just, they’re coming.  Everyone meet up.”  Cherries Jubilee hit the button again.

* * *

          Alecta glided on the airstream created by the mountains.  She hit as many developing thermals as possible to remain aloft without having to flap her wings.  As Bernice and Chrystal’s informant had said, there was a castle in this supposedly empty valley.  It was the next system of valleys over, but still close enough to the horse farmer’s home.

          Her sharp vision had allowed her to see several colorful specks run into the castle and the drawbridge go up.  They had to be the ponies she had heard so much about.

          “At last I will meet your little ponies, Desdemona,” Alecta said.  “Let’s see if they’re as crafty as you claim.”

          Desdemona swallowed, obviously knowing there will be nothing to hide anymore.

          Alecta got another thermal to fill her wings with air and rise several meters.

* * *

          Wind Whistler joined the crowd of ponies in the intersection of halls on the ground floor.  An intelligible din of conversations trying to all happen at once assaulted her ears.  Finally, Majesty gave a piercing whistle that silenced all of them.

          “We’re ponies,” she declared, “not a bunch of chickens that just had their heads cut off.  Let’s think this through.”

          “But we’ve only managed to drive one off with a flying trick and used the Bifröst to escape from three of them,” Shady said.  “I counted at least fourteen headed for our castle.  We don’t stand a chance.”

          “And they must have seen us,” Sundance added.  “At least see the drawbridge was down and we brought it back up.”

          “Then it’s over,” Bow-Tie said despairingly.

          Wind Whistler rushed through their options which were slim.  The harpies knew ponies were here, so just hiding and waiting for them to leave was not an option.  She then thought of something more specific.  She had been inside as well as Paradise translating the Old Borean text, North Star examining maps, Buttons working with Masquerade, Bow-Tie bringing them accessories, Sparkler was taking inventory in the vault, Cupcake was cooking, Truly and Posy were also all inside.  Meaning none of the ponies who had seen and been seen by the harpies was outside to be seen this time.

          “It might not be over just yet,” Wind Whistler said.  “They know there are ponies here, but they don’t know who exactly is here.”

          “How does that help us?” Magic Star asked.

          “Those of us who went to the Williams’ residence yesterday will hide in the underground chamber,” Wind Whistler explained.  “The rest of you feign ignorance of us.  They might buy it and leave to look for us somewhere else.”

          “That’s a pretty big ‘might’, Wind Whistler,” Magic Star stated.

          “We don’t really have many options,” Wind Whistler responded.

          “She’s right,” Majesty interjected.  “However, I’m going to add a little wrinkle to that.”  She looked to Magic Star.  “I want you to pretend to be the leader of the castle.”

          “You’re ducking out too?!” Magic Star asked.

          Majesty lowered her brow.  “Hardly.  However, my magic is our trump card, and it would be best if I had the element of surprise.”  She held up her right front hoof covered by its shoe.  “I’ll turn invisible and watch while they’re here.  If they try anything, I have a few spells at my disposal to deal with them.”

          “Why don’t you just use them now?” Applejack asked.

          “Uh, if we’re going to hide, we should do it now,” Paradise interjected.  “I need to grab my translation work.”

          Wind Whistler and the seven other ponies clambered for the spur holding the hidden elevator.  Wind Whistler caught a glimpse of Majesty disappearing before going around the corner.  They opened the panel and climbed into the elevator which was very crowded, but took their weight.

          Paradise was last with the sheet of paper she was translating and cheat sheet in her mouth and her dictionary held against her chest.  Wind Whistler instinctively clutched the locket in her pastern.  It was a good thing she had worn it since that meant she did not have to waste precious time getting it or worry about its hiding place being discovered.

          Magic Star stood in front of the door.

          “Good luck,” Cupcake said.

          “We’ll need it.”  Magic Star pushed the sconce up and the panel slid back.  The doors to the elevator closed and the elevator began to descend.

* * *

          Alecta glided towards the castle.  She had always been amused by the design of castles with the fortified wall around them.  It showed how two-dimensional grounders thought.  So much time and material went into defenses that were immediately defeated by a pair of wings.

          “What are those?”  Melinda pointed down at sheets spread out across the grass with something glowing on them.

          “Not the locket,” Alecta snarled.  “Stay on task!”

          She landed in the front courtyard on the walkway of flagstone.  The courtyard was over grown, and there were metal sculptures amongst the weeds.  She pushed them out of her mind and walked up the stoop.  She pounded on the heavy, wooden doors, the sound hollow and echoing off the stone wall behind them.

          “Do you think they’ll just come and open the door?” Frona asked.

          Alecta shot her a glance.  However, creaking brought her attention forward.  One of the doors opened and a pony with a pinkish-purple coat and a pale pink mane poked her head out.  “I thought we had that ‘No Soliciting’ sign up already.  Whatever you’re selling, we’re not interested.”

          Alecta pointed at the pony.  “Detain her.”

          Bernice grabbed the pony by the neck and picked her up.

          “Hey!” the pony yelped and struggled.

          “Stop struggling or I’ll make you.”  Bernice presented her talons to the pony who gasped at the sight of them and stopped.

          Alecta pulled open the doors and walked into the foyer.  A pony with a yellow coat and green mane stepped in from a set of double doors on the opposite wall.  “I am Magic Star, lady of this castle.  May I ask why you’re here, and assaulting one of my ponies?”

          This pony was putting on a brave face, but there were subtle signs of fear she was trying desperately to hide.  “Round up every pony you can find and throw them in some room where we can keep track of them,” Alecta ordered.

          Chrystal and Melinda herded the pony into the hallway.

          More ponies were in the hallway, many shrank back and trembled as they approached.  _These are the ponies that gave Frona and the others so much trouble,_ she thought.  _Pathetic._

          “Don’t resist, just do what they say,” the yellow pony said.

          “That’s right,” Alecta said.  “Do what we say.”

* * *

          The elevator finally stopped and everyone filed out.  Wind Whistler went straight to Twilight Mist.

          Twilight Mist swiveled her chair around.  “What’s going on?” she asked.

          “The harpies somehow discovered our location,” Wind Whistler answered.  “They’re in the castle right now.”

          “What are you doing down here then?” Twilight Mist asked, looking past her at the others.

          “We’re hoping they will leave if they don’t see any ponies they recognize,” Wind Whistler said.  “Can you monitor what’s happening in the castle?”

          Twilight Mist swiveled back to face the panel.  “There is a security mode.”

          She tapped a few buttons, and the top pane showed colored images of the castle above.  The harpies were marching through the halls, looming over ponies as they were directed away.  Twilight Mist toggled through to the ballroom where six ponies were standing at the foot of the stairs, and three more joined them.

          “This is simply horrible,” Cupcake whimpered.

          Wind Whistler noticed a harpy giving orders to another.  “Do we have audio?”

          Twilight Mist scanned the control panel.  “Doesn’t look like it.  All these cameras are also fixed, probably so they can be hidden in the architecture.  Literally what you see is what you get.”

          The other harpy bowed to this one and disappeared from view.  Her vibrant purple hair was cut to jaw length with the back tied in a small bun.

          “Can you freeze the image and magnify?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “ _That_ I can do.”  Twilight Mist hit a button and the image froze.  The view closed in on the harpy with purple hair and sharpened.  She wore a choker around her neck with a gold pendant shaped like short, fat fish attached to it.

          “I think we just found their leader,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Fat lot of good that does us,” Truly commented.

          Twilight Mist hit a button and it returned to normal.  It appeared that almost all of the others had been taken into the ballroom.

          “What are they doing?” Buttons asked.

          “It looks like they want them all in one place,” Paradise said.

* * *

          Shady tried to keep her breathing and trembling under control.  She hoped the harpies did not start interrogating them.  She could crack under the pressure and give their entire ruse away.  Then they would fly into a murderous rage.  Everything she had feared was now looming over them.

          “I don’t see why we just have to stand here and take this,” Gusty grumbled.  “I say we fight.”

          “We’re trying to get out of this without a fight,” Magic Star whispered under her breath.

          “Even with that bunch down there, we outnumber them almost two to one,” Gusty insisted.  “We can take them.”

          “Even if we did beat them, I doubt we would avoid casualties,” Magic Star replied.  “The point is to get out of this with everyone alive.”

          “Fine,” Gusty huffed.

          Seashell was the last one ushered down the staircase into the crowd.  Shady could only imagine where Majesty was.  Hopefully she was close by and watching.

          “Is that the last of them?” the harpy with the purple hair asked.

          “Yes, Glorious Alpha,” one with green hair answered.

          The ‘Glorious Alpha’ turned to another harpy with short, flame red hair.  “So, Beta, do you recognize any of them?”

          The ‘Beta’ glared down at them, her eyes falling on each one of them.  Shady thought her heart was going to blast out of her chest like a mortar from a canon when she came under that stare.  The Beta turned back to the Glorious Alpha.  “No.”

          Magic Star stepped forward.  “May I ask why you are doing this?  We haven’t shown you any hostility.”

          The Glorious Alpha glared down at her.  “Because little ponies like you have been meddling in my affairs lately.”  She showed her really long and really, really sharp talons.  “I take particular offense to meddling.”

          Shady watched a lump go down Magic Star’s throat.  “Well, there are several groups of us out there.  Perhaps it was one of them you encountered.”

          The Glorious Alpha turned to the harpy with green hair and loomed over her.  “Are you absolutely, positively, no two ways about it sure these are all of them?”

          “Yes, Glorious Alpha,” the harpy whimpered.

          “I swear to you everyone living in this castle is in this ballroom,” Magic Star insisted.  “Please, we mean you no harm and just want to live in peace.”

          The Glorious Alpha sneered.

          “Glorious Alpha.”  A harpy with long, blond hair and a gray hoof guard symbol on the chest of her dress ran in.  “I found this.”

          She held up a light blue feather unmistakably from Wind Whistler.  Shady squashed her urge to gasp.

          The Glorious Alpha took the feather and ran her fingers across it.

          “It’s from the ring leader of ponies who had the locket,” the orange-haired harpy said.

          The Glorious Alpha released the feather only to snatch it in her talons and crush it.  Shady could not help but imagine a tiny Wind Whistler in its place having the life crushed out of her.

          The Glorious Alpha threw the now mangled feather on the ground.  “You were saying?”

          Magic Star took a step back.  “A small group passed through here the other day,” she stammered.  “One of them was a light blue pegasus.  It must be from her.”

          “Passing through?” the Glorious Alpha asked.  “Where did they go?”

          “Um…uh…” Magic Star stammered.

          “They went north,” Galaxy interjected.  “When they left they said they were heading north.”

          The Glorious Alpha flexed her talons, talons that could slit a pony’s throat wide open with a single swipe.  They were playing with fire here, and Shady knew they were going to be burned.

          The Glorious Alpha turned to the other harpies.  “Search this castle again, tear it down brick by brick if you have to.  I want that pony and her friends found.  I want that locket found.”  She pointed to the door.  “GO!”

          “Yes, Glorious Alpha,” they all chanted in unison.

          Most of them left except the Glorious Alpha and two others she grabbed the collars of.  “Not you two.  String your bows and have arrows at the ready,” the Glorious Alpha instructed.  She looked to the ponies out of the corner of her eye.  “If they try anything, kill them.”

          That was it for Shady.  The edges of her vision closed in and she felt her hold on the ground failing.  The last image of consciousness she had was the Glorious Alpha staring straight at her from the corner of her eye.

* * *

          “And there goes Shady,” Twilight Mist commented as Shady fell over on the floor.

          Wind Whistler shot her a nasty glare.  However, she felt a pit in her stomach seeing all of them like that and the harpies looming at the top of the stairs with their longbows in one talon and an arrow in the other.  A wayward feather from her own wing could have doomed them all.

          “If they really start searching, they’ll find the secret elevator,” Cupcake panicked.

          “Fortunately, whoever built this castle seemed to have just this situation in mind,” Twilight Mist said.

          She pressed a button and red runes appeared along with a countdown.

          “What did you just do?” Truly asked.

          “I locked the sconce that opens the panel,” Twilight Mist answered.  “There’s a dead man’s switch to automatically unlock it after one hour in case something happens to us, but our fowl feathered fiends will hopefully give up and go home before then.”

          She glanced to Wind Whistler.  “Still think we shouldn’t have just bricked it off and forgotten about it?”

          Wind Whistler paid her comment little attention.  “I still believe the potential good outweighs the potential ill.”

          “Keep believing that,” Twilight Mist commented.

          “I would still like this better if we had something to defend ourselves with.”  Sparkler disappeared in a shower of purple sparkles and reappeared in front of the doors under the panel.  “There has to be something.”

          Wind Whistler glided down as the door slid open and Sparkler stepped in.  There was the usual communication equipment.  She could only guess it was used when the Bifröst was fully operational and its original owners set up relays.  However, nothing looked like a weapon.

          Sparkler rummaged through the equipment.  “No weapons?  Really?”

          “If there had been weapons in here, they have probably long since been removed,” Wind Whistler said.  She also remembered what Paradise had said.  The Boreans never developed gunpowder, so there might not be ranged weapons beyond bows and arrows anyway.

          Sparkler picked up a pipe in her magic.  “I suppose we can club them.”

          “If you two are done, you should get up here!” Twilight Mist shouted.

          Sparkler threw the pipe aside.  “The enemy is not just at the gate but in the castle, and we don’t have any weapons.  It’s like I said yesterday.  We’re all going to die.”

          “Don’t forget Queen Majesty is up there and waiting,” Wind Whistler pointed out.  “If it comes to that point, she must have something planned.”

          “I actually wonder if that old bat can really anything but make wheels square,” Sparkler grumbled.

          They climbed the steps up to the platform.  “What’s happening?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “The harpies are splitting into pairs and going through the castle,” Twilight Mist said.

          “If something happens, can we use the Bifröst to get out of here and up there to do something?” Truly asked.

          “I can put us a kilometer out,” Twilight Mist said.  “I don’t trust setting the distance to zero.”

          “But what can we do?” Sparkler asked.  “Again, we don’t have any weapons and those things are built to rip us to shreds even without their bows.  And where would we go?  It’s not like we can call for the Royal Guard to come help.  We are on our own, ponies.”

          “I know.”  Wind Whistler sighed.  Even if they went to the capital or the Wonderful Wizard, they would have to wait the eternity of a half hour for the Bifröst to recharge.  “I know.”

          “Maybe we can cause enough mayhem to trap them in a pincer maneuver,” North Star suggested.

          “Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.”  Buttons turned back to the screen which showed the harpies turning over the tables in the dining hall.  “We need to trust that Queen Majesty knows what she’s doing up there.”

* * *

          The harpies searched room by room, and all the ponies in the chamber could do was watch.  Wind Whistler hated the feeling of being unable to do anything.  This was her idea as well, and everyone who stayed topside was in mortal danger because of her.  Yet, there was nothing she could do, so she just waited.

          The harpies tossed books to the floor in the library, getting a whimper out of Paradise.  Truly took offense to them going through her makeshift infirmary.  They rummaged through the kitchen, even tasting some of the food but were apparently disgusted by it if the spitting it out and throwing it on the ground were any indication.  There were no cameras in any of the private quarters or bathrooms, but the harpies went in and out of each one.  They did not find the treasure vault or armory, their passageways being well hidden, and they never even tried pulling any of the sconces.

          One of them started knocking on panels, something that made everyone gasp.  However, another pulled her away and pointed her down the hall.  Still, the feeling that imaginary pins were pressing against Wind Whistler’s flesh remained.

          Twilight Mist would regularly go back to the ballroom where the ponies were still standing there under the gaze of the two armed harpies and their apparent leader.  The leader paced and seemed to be growing more impatient as time went on.  She was what Wind Whistler feared most about them.  If she was the boss, her growing frustration meant more danger for the ponies topside.

          A harpy, having finished going through all the servants’ quarters of the southeast building, returned to the ballroom.

          “I think this is it,” Twilight Mist said.  “They’re running out of castle to search.”

          “Let’s hope they just leave now,” Cupcake said.

* * *

          Alecta rubbed her talon on the skin under the feathers of her upper arm where an itch had developed, just enough to feel it.  That slight pain felt therapeutic as her frustration rose.  These ponies were hiding something, her gut told her that.  She could have brought Gergo along to read their minds, but no Alpha worth her salt would dare expose her male.  Besides, he was the only one left to guard the stronghold and the girl.  Still, she would have liked to have his mental powers with her at the moment.

          One by one, the others returned, all with nothing.  She looked back at the crowd of twenty-six ponies clustered on the main floor of the ballroom.  The bright pink one who fainted was back on her hooves but looked like she would faint again every time her eyes fell on her.  Some murmured something unintelligible to one another, and a few looked like they might be ready to try something.  However, they just stood there, probably hoping she would give up and fly away.

          As usual, Desdemona was the last to join them.  “I didn’t find anything,” she said.

          “Are you satisfied?” the yellow pony asked.

          “Yes,” Alecta replied.  Now to have some fun.  “Kill them.”

          The ponies huddled together as the others lined up.  It might be a good instinct when dealing with a predator at close range, but made them all the easier to take down with arrows.  Those that did not have the bows strung took them out and strung them, and they all formed a line along the balcony just like they had drilled.

          “Knock,” Alecta commanded.

          The others took arrows out of their quivers and set them on their strings.

          “Draw!”

          They held up their bows pulled back their arrows, taking aim at the cluster of ponies.

          Alecta just opened her mouth to command ‘loose’ when another, ethereal voice interrupted.  “Oh arrows meant to strike my ponies dead, become beautiful red roses instead.”

          The arrows on the others’ bows suddenly turned into long stem roses with red blooms on the end.  They took the roses from their bows and stared at them with bewildered expressions.  Frona reached into her quiver and pulled out another arrow that had also turned into a rose.

          “What?” Alecta snarled.

          She turned back to the ponies standing there.  She then saw something appearing on the throne.  It was another pony with a horn coming from her forehead lounging on it.  A red cloak covered much of her white coat and a gold tiara sat on her blue mane.  It appeared like she had just twisted one of the shoes covering her hoof.

          “I knew this was all a trick.”  Alecta threw herself off the balcony and glided straight for the pony.

          The pony twirled her horn, energy building around it.  It was a bubbling storm of sickening greens and purples and black lightning.  Her blue irises turned blood red surrounded by green and purple energy wafted from them.  “Vile harpies all before me, inside this fjord you shall never again be.”

          Alecta stretched out her talons as she was about to plunge them into the pony’s chest.  Something grabbed her and threw her back.  The world dissolved in a flash, and Alecta fell into something wet and cold with a distinct smell and taste of salt to it.  She looked back and saw the others all floating there bewildered.

          Alecta climbed onto a nearby rock and flapped her wings to rid them of the salt water.  Once they were dry, she took to the air to get her bearings.  They were at the mouth of the fjord where it emptied into the main one.  She saw the pink castle several kilometers away near a hanging valley.

          She let out a snarl and flew towards it.  She was again grabbed and thrown back.  She kept herself airborne this time and saw she was back where she had started.

          She spiraled down to the rocks at the mouth and landed on one exposed to the air.  The others were standing on rocks, tending their wings.  “Beta, enter the fjord.”

          “Yes, Glorious Alpha.”  She leapt towards the fjord.  A few meters in, black lightning surrounded her.  It seemed to tie around her just before she disappeared and reappeared several meters back, tumbling as if she had been thrown.

          It took a few seconds for the pony’s words and what was happening to make sense.  “She cursed us.  That pony cursed us!”  She let out a piercing screech to voice her frustration.

* * *

          Magic Star joined the others around Majesty’s throne.  They cheered and congratulated her.

          Majesty’s eyes returned to normal from whatever changed them and the energy around her horn evaporated away.  She bowed her head and smiled.  “Now, for my next trick—”

          She stopped suddenly.  Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head, and she fell from her throne—coming to lie limply across the steps.  Gasps came from the crowd, and they surrounded her.

          “Queen Majesty!” echoed throughout the ballroom.


	10. Rattling Their Cage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Majesty is confined to her bed, and the harpies are up to more schemes. Enough is enough.

          Wantall was heavier than the usual human.  Just looking at him told Alecta that.  She had to grab him with both talons to pick him up and slam against the rock.  He covered his face with his doughy hands and she could feel his body convulsing in her grip.

          “Please,” he blubbered.  “I don’t understand your ire with me.  I mean, I was right.  There were ponies in that castle.”

          “You didn’t tell us one of them was a powerful magician,” Alecta roared.

          Wantall parted his hands enough to see her.  “I didn’t?  I guess it slipped my mind. 

          Alecta adjusted her left talon so it could better pin him alone and smacked his arm away so she could bring a claw to his throat.  “You better hope that’s the only thing that slips.”

          Wantall swallowed a lump down his throat.  “I figured this would be a perfect alliance.  You were looking for the ponies and could do something about them, and I knew where the ponies were.  It’s not my fault they bested you.”

          Alecta pressed the claw against the ample flesh where his neck would be.  “They didn’t ‘best’ us.  They _tricked_ us.”

          Wantall held up his hands.  “My mistake.”

          Alecta moved her claw away so it just touched his doughy skin.

          “The point is you know where they are,” Wantall said.

          Alecta clenched her teeth.  “It does us no good if they’ve made it impossible to enter their fjord.”

          “I thought I smelled the stench of a banishment curse on you,” Wantall said.  He inhaled loudly through his nostrils.  “That’s some pitch black magic.”

          “He’s supposedly a wizard,” Frona said.  “How about he uses his magic to remove whatever she did to us.”

          “I would if I could, but her powers far outweigh mine,” Wantall said.  “This curse is one of the most powerful I’ve ever come across.”

          “So you were _using_ us!” Alecta bellowed.  “You’re too weak to face them, so you figured we’d do your dirty work!”

          “You make it sound so underhanded.”  Wantall grinned sheepishly.

          Alecta slammed Wantall against the rock again and presented her talons to his face.  He went pale and sweat quickly soaked his face.  “I’ve reached the end of my patience, and you’ve reached the end of _your_ usefulness.”

          “Wait.  Wait!  WAIT!” Wantall stammered.  “I might still be of use to you.”

          Alecta relaxed her arm.  “I’m listening.”

          “You might be barred from their fjord, but I’m not,” Wantall said.  “What if I could find what you’re looking for or otherwise draw them out so they’re no longer protected?”

          “He has you there, Glorious Alpha,” Frona said.

          Alecta ground her teeth.  He did have her.  She released her hold on him, and he dropped to the ground.

          “The ponies have a red, heart-shaped locket,” Alecta said.  “Retrieve it.”

          Wantall got to his feet and brushed of his sleeves.  “A red locket shaped like a heart: consider it as good as got.”  He bowed.

          “You have until sundown today,” Alecta said.  “Bring it here.”

          She turned back to Frona and Bernice.  “We’ll return to the stronghold for new arrows and we’ll return here.”  She turned back to Wantall.  “You better be well on your way to getting that locket.”  She presented her talons to him again.  “Because if the sun goes down and it’s not in this talon”—she closed it into a fist—“your windpipe will be.”

          Wantall rubbed his throat.  “I get the picture.”

* * *

          Wantall watched as the three harpies spread their broad wings and took to the air.  Beautiful examples of predatory biology—until you are their prey.  He felt where their leader pressed her talon against his neck to make sure she did not draw blood.  Then he straightened out his aching back and rubbed his head from being smacked against the rock.

          He trudged back to his overturned cart and summoned magic for a levitation spell.  He lifted it up and righted it so it could settle down on all four wheels.  He inhaled and slowly exhaled as he let it sink in.  Along with dents and scrapes to the paint job from being toppled over, the canvas canopy had large gashes in it from the harpies’ talons.  Thinking of those talons going through him sent a shiver through him.  “Congratulations, Wantall, you’ve made a deal with the devil and payment is due.

          “How am I going to get into their castle and steal a locket?”  He opened the trunk on the back of the cart where he kept some supplies.

          “Maybe I could wear a disguise.”  He pulled out a white robe with a star motif and a wig that would make him look like his astronomy-obsessed twin brother.  He had gotten away with many things by impersonating him.  He looked at them and then tossed them back in.  “That wouldn’t work because that blasted telepath could just read my mind and know it’s me.”  He slammed the trunk shut.

          He stopped and thought.  “I’m going to have to get help on this one.”  An idea popped into his head.  His mouth bent up in a toothy grin.  “And _Get_ is just what I’ll do.”

* * *

          A groan interrupted Truly’s reading, and she turned to the bed.  Majesty was lying under the covers, wincing and stirring.  She slowly opened her eyes partly and stared up.

          “Welcome back to the world of the living, Queen Majesty,” Truly said.  “How do you feel?”

          Majesty winced.  “Like someone drove a power drill through the tip of my horn,” she groaned, “and went all the way into my skull.”

          “That’s to be expected,” Truly replied.  “Any other issues?  Before you collapsed, did you feel any chest pain, shortness of breath, or nausea?”

          “If you’re asking if I had a heart attack, then no,” Majesty answered.  “I was fine one second and woke up here the next.”

          “That’s a relief,” Truly said.  “I’m just nurse, so if your ticker was giving out we would be in serious trouble.”

          “I’m only one hundred fifty-three,” Majesty said.  “I have a good half century left in me.”

          “The good old bicentennial gene,” Truly mused allowed.  “Too bad everyone can’t have it.”

          “Actually, every pony we’ve found in this world so far has it,” Majesty said.  “I had been looking for what we all have in common, and that seems to be one of them.”

          Truly furrowed her brow.  “Now that’s just the strangest thing.”

          A knock came at the door to interrupt her train of thought.  “Truly, is Queen Majesty awake?”  Magic Star’s voice was muffled by the door.

          Truly set down her book and walked over to open the door.  Magic Star walked in with Galaxy and Wind Whistler.  “She’s awake but still very weak.”

          “What happened to her?” Magic Star asked.

          “As far as I can tell with what medicine I know and what we have at our disposal,” Truly answered, “she suffered an acute case of magic exhaustion.”

          Wind Whistler furrowed her brow.  “I’m a little confused.  How could exhausting her magic cause such a severe physical reaction?”

          “The spell I used was based on Shadow pony magic,” Majesty said weakly.  “It’s incredibly powerful, but it puts incredible strain on the body.”

          “Is that why the magic looked and felt so…ugly?” Magic Star asked.

          Majesty nodded.

          “Where did you learn Shadow pony magic?” Galaxy asked.

          “Yes, they were your kind’s enemy, Sombra’s old tribe,” Majesty said.  “The Crystal Empire kept very good notes on their twisted magic, so I studied it when it returned.  That spell was originally meant to entrap, but I learned to invert it to keep the target out of a given location.”

          “So, you just sat down and learned them?” Galaxy gasped.  “You do realize what the Shadow ponies were, and what they did to the Crystal ponies in the past?”

          “Past being the operative word,” Majesty replied.  “They’re extinct, a footnote in history.”

          “Yet you’re keeping their black magic alive!” Galaxy stated.

          Majesty glared at Galaxy.  “Everyone wants to assign mortality to things that don’t have it, especially magic.  The spell I used might have been created by an evil group, but it has no understanding of our definitions of good and evil or anything else.  It’s an application of energy as benign or malicious as lifting a glass of water.”

          “While this discussion of magic and morality could be invigorating, I still don’t understand how exhausting magic has such an effect on the body,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Unicorn magic is similar to physical stamina,” Truly replied.  “Overexertion can lead to fatigue and fainting spells and even more severe and permanent damage in extreme instances.  I’ve actually looked after several cases.  She just needs to rest and give her magic a chance to recover.”

          “That was why I didn’t want to just use my magic when the harpies first appeared,” Majesty said in a weak voice.  “My banishment spell took everything I had, so I only wanted to use it as a last resort.  You see, I didn’t just teleport them out, but placed a permanent spell on each of them so they will always be immediately removed from the fjord if they ever try to enter again.”  She winced.  “Though, I might have gotten a little overzealous by making it the entire fjord.  A basic protection spell for the castle will do the trick.”

          Truly turned to Majesty and gave her the glare she would give any patient trying to rush out of bed.  “You’re not doing so much as levitating a pin for the next several days.  The only cure for magical exhaustion is rest and plenty of it.”

          “Yes, sir.”  Majesty worked her leg out from under the covers and gave a salute.

          She beckoned.  “Magic Star, Galaxy, since I’ll be off my hooves for a while, there is some business I need to attend to.  Magic Star, I’m naming you my Chief Minister.  You’re my second in command and you’ll be in charge while I recover.  Galaxy, you’ll be my Chamberlain and handle the caretaking of the castle.”

          “You can count on me, Queen Majesty,” Magic Star said.

          “As well as me,” Galaxy added.

          “I know I can.”  Majesty turned to Wind Whistler.

          “I do not desire a title,” Wind Whistler said, “nor do I believe I deserve one.  My plan backfired.”

          “You kept the harpies from finding the locket,” Majesty said.  “We all underestimated just how depraved they were, but that is not your fault.  However, I will not bestow a title on you if you do not wish to have one.  Be Wind Whistler, and do what Wind Whistler has to do.”

          Wind Whistler furrowed her brow.  “I don’t understand.”

          Majesty formed a weak grin.  “You’ll figure it out.”  She slowly closed her eyes and laid her head to the side.  The covers slowly rose and fell with her breathing.

          Truly picked up the stethoscope and listened to Majesty’s heart and breathing.  Both were a little slow but steady.  “I think she’s done enough talking for now.  Let’s leave her to rest.”

          She ushered the three out of the room and carefully closed the door behind her to minimize the noise.

          “She’s been queen less than a day, and she’s already taken ill,” Magic Star said.

          “She’s been queen less than a day, and she’s already repelled an invasion and saved all of our lives,” Galaxy added.

          “Are you sure she has to be laid up for several days?” Magic Star asked.

          “My formal medical training says yes,” Truly said.  “However, my grandma was a hills pony, and knew some herbal remedies including a few that would help an exhausted unicorn recuperate faster.”

          “Do you think you can find the right herbs here?” Magic Star asked.

          Truly shrugged.  “I’ll have to go out and look, but right now rest is the only medicine I can offer.”

* * *

          Wind Whistler followed Magic Star and Galaxy into the ballroom.  The other ponies sat or stood there, staring up at them.  Magic Star stood at the top of the stairs and cleared her throat.

          “Queen Majesty is resting and will make a full recovery,” Magic Star said.  “She suffered from magic exhaustion.”

          Te crowd relaxed and heaved sighs of relief.

          “However, she will be off her hooves for the next several days,” Magic Star continued.  “She named me Chief Minister and Galaxy Chamberlain.  Galaxy will be running castle affairs and I’ll be in charge of everything else until she recovers.”

          “What’s your first order, Minister?” Applejack asked.

          “The solei quartz is still sitting outside,” Galaxy said.  “We need ponies to tend to it.”

          Half a dozen ponies left the crowd and ascended the stairs for the door.

          “What I say we do is return the harpies’ visit in kind.”  Gusty stamped her hoof.  She got a couple nods.

          “Did you not see them almost kill you?” Cupcake asked rhetorically.

          “That’s because we just stood here and let them have the run of the castle,” Gusty shot back.  “I say we assemble our best fighters and go after them without having to worry about any other weaker ponies dragging them down.”

          “What fighters?” Cupcake asked.  “Look at us?  None of us are soldiers.  We’re bakers and dressmakers while those harpies are professionally trained killers.  We couldn’t ever hope to stand up to them.”

          “Unfortunately, we may not have a choice,” Wind Whistler said.  “We’ve pledged to save Megan from them, and we cannot go back on our word.”

          “We don’t even know where they would be holding her,” Magic Star said.

          “That’s what North Star and I were looking into earlier,” Wind Whistler replied.  “We have a general area of where they could have come from, but it’s still a substantial area to search.  We need to narrow down possible candidates.”

          “You and North Star can continue your research,” Magic Star said, “but whether we engage them or not will be up to me.  Understand?”

          Wind Whistler bowed.  “Of course, Minister Magic Star.”

          “The rest of you are on cleanup duty,” Galaxy said to the crowd.  A wave of groans came from the group.  “Start with the kitchen and the library since that’s where the harpies did the most damage.”

* * *

          Fizzy left the ballroom with the crowd.  It was good to hear Majesty would be all right.  She was not even that displeased with having to clean up.  In fact, it would let her get back to her training as a chamber maid like she was in the Crystal Palace.  Now that the scare with the harpies was over and everyone was mostly fine, she was feeling pretty good.

          “Since we will probably not able to act on anything immediately,” Wind Whistler said to Paradise, “North Star and I can assist with cleaning the library, at least put the maps back in order.”

          “I would appreciate that,” Paradise replied.  “It’ll probably take days to get all of those books back where they belong.”

          They joined the group of ponies headed towards the intersection.  Shady walked up to Fizzy, but was pulled away by Truly.  “I heard those glasses have some weird powers.  Detecting magic wouldn’t be one of them, would it?”

          “Well, yes—” Shady started to say.

          “Good, because Posey and I need to hunt down magic herbs.”  She pulled Shady to where Posey was standing.  “We’ll bring you and your glasses along too.”

          “Uh…okay,” Shady replied.

          “Fizzy, right?” a voice asked.

          Fizzy looked back and saw Bubbles was standing behind her.  “You’re a maid if I’m not mistaken.”

          “Uh, yeah,” Fizzy replied.

          “I could tell that divide between your forelock and the rest of your mane was from a maid’s headband,” Bubbles said.

          “Well, I’m just a trainee,” Fizzy said.

          “Whatever the case, I want you helping with the kitchen,” Bubbles said.  “That’s going to require sweeping, mopping, scrubbing and some actual skill for cleaning.”

          “Right,” Fizzy said.

          They stepped into the kitchen and one of the worst messes Fizzy had seen.  Flour, sugar, salt, and food with bite marks in it covered the floor and counters.  Cupcake picked up jars and looked into them, her frown increasing with each one before putting a lid on it and returning it to its place.  Skyflier and Cherries Jubilee set out dust pans and passed out brooms.

          “I’m starting to see Gusty’s point of view.”  Cupcake shoved a jar into a cupboard.  “If I ever see those harpies again, I want to give them a nice big piece of my mind for what they did to my kitchen.”

          “Look at it this way,” Seashell said to Cupcake, “at least they didn’t break any of the dishes.”

          “Probably so they wouldn’t step on the pieces,” Cupcake grumbled.  “I finally have some real ingredients, and more than half of it is on the floor.”

          “Do you know how to start with this?” Bubbles asked.

          “Sweep out the corners with a normal broom,” Fizzy answered.

          “Good,” Bubbles said.  “Get to work.”  She tossed a broom towards her.

          Fizzy caught it with her magic and started sweeping the coating of white on the floor out of the corner next to the door.

* * *

          Shady scanned the wooded hill from behind her sunglasses.  Her mother had given her these glasses for her symbol party, saying they were very special glasses.  They certainly were since they let Shady see things no other pony could.  They could act like a telescope and let her see things far away, like the harpies earlier, or a microscope to let her see things that were really small.  She could even see things that were invisible to most ponies even when not concentrating.  She just realized she could have looked for Majesty through them, but she might have made the harpies suspicious.

          Right now, she was looking for magic coming from any of the plants.  Equestria would become so vibrant and lively when looking at the magic pulsing through the plants.  Normal plants would have narrow vanes starting at the roots and coming up and spreading through the leaves.  Plants that had more magical properties would be absolutely aglow.  She could sit there for hours and watch the magic going up a tall palm tree and spreading through its broad fronds.

          However, these plants were just plants.  The trees and tangled underbrush beneath them were dark and dull through the tint of her lenses.  She had seen two lines, one running almost due north and south and another roughly northeast to southwest that crossed under the castle which were apparently magic.  She had never heard of just isolated lines of magic.

          “See anything?” Truly asked.

          Shady shook her head.  “I’m sorry, but I don’t see anything magical.”

          Posey bit into a strawberry.  “Well, we found strawberry and blueberry plants.  They’re good for a pony on the mend, and Cupcake will be happy to have more to work with.”

          “What I need is poison joke,” Truly murmured.

          “Poison joke?!”  Shady pushed her glasses up.  “We’re supposed to make Queen Majesty better!”

          “Relax.”  Truly said.  “Only the flowers are dangerous, and I snip them off.  What I’m after are the roots where they store their magic.  I can make a broth from them, and it will help Queen Majesty regain her magic.  My grandma did it for countless unicorns and made sure I knew the recipe by heart.”

          “Well, I haven’t seen poison joke or any other magic-dependent plants,” Posey said.  “They might not exist in this World.”

          “I’m starting to think that’s the case,” Truly replied.  “At least when it comes to this valley.”

          “What would you need magical plants for?” a voice asked.

          A boy with skin the same color as a pea and wearing a green shirt, pants, and hat climbed the hill towards them.  The only thing not green him was the mane of blond hair coming out from under his cap.

          “Who are you?” Truly asked.  “And what brings you here?”

          “I’m called Get-It,” the boy replied.  “I live on the mountains just north of here, and I come down every once and a while to pick clover.  I saw you looking around and wondered if you could use some help.”

          “Well, bless your heart,” Truly said.

          “You’re not shocked to see talking ponies?” Posey asked.  “Because that would be a first.”

          “I heard talking horses were living in this fjord now,” Get-It said.  “And not a lot of humanoids have green skin like me, so weird things don’t bug me at all.”

          “Well, it a pleasure making your acquaintance, Get-It,” Truly said.

          “So, what’s this about needing magic plants?” Get-It asked.

          “One of us sick, her magic having been exhausted, and we need plants with magical properties to help her get better,” Truly said.  “Unfortunately, it seems like this fjord doesn’t have any.  Ever heard of poison joke?”

          “No,” Get-It answered.

          “What about the flower of truth?” Posey asked.

          Get-It shook his head.

          Shady heaved a sigh.  She knew this was fool’s errand.  “I guess we should go back.  Queen Majesty will recover on her own.”  She stopped when she realized she probably should not have mentioned it was Majesty who had taken ill.

          “We might not have those plants, but there’s something here you could use,” Get-It said.  “It’s called witchweed.”

          “I’m not familiar with it,” Truly said.

          “Neither am I,” Posey added.

          Get-It turned towards the mouth of the fjord and waved for them to follow.  “Come with me.”

          “I don’t know if we should,” Shady said.

          “Oh, please,” Truly scolded.  “He’s offering to help.  We shouldn’t be rude.”

          They followed Get-It as he walked towards where the shore turned from their fjord into the main one.  “Witchweed is the go to plant for magic,” Get-It explained.  “Non-magic users use it to gain magical powers temporarily, but it has some rather nasty side effects.  Beware of a concentrated potion made from it.  It’s instantly addictive.”

          “For such a young boy, you certainly seem to know a lot about it,” Posey said.

          Get-It shrugged.  “The fact that it’s dangerous is drilled into us as soon as we can understand.”

          “What if you already have magic?” Truly asked.

          “That’s its real use,” Get-It answered.  “Magic users use it as a powerful medicine.  It should do the trick for your queen.”

          “It’s mighty kind of you to help us,” Truly said.  “It’s good to know there are polite and proper people in this world, especially children.”

          “Don’t mention it,” Get-It said.

          “Where does this witchweed grow?” Posey asked.

          “It grows on east facing slopes,” Get-It answered.  “There’s some just outside this fjord.”

          Shady stopped.  “Just outside?”

          Get-It turned back.  “Yeah.  It’s actually in season right, so you’re really lucky.”

          Shady felt her muscles tensing.  “Can we talk alone, you two?”

          Truly heaved a sigh and glowered.  “All right, Shady.  This better be good.”

          Shady led them to where she hoped they would be out of earshot.  “I don’t like this.  Something to help Queen Majesty is just outside of the fjord.  It just feels like too much of a coincidence that we have to leave its protection.”

          “Oh Shady, don’t be such a wet blanket,” Truly said.  “I don’t know how you treat others in that tourist trap you call home, but in Mustangia proper we try to be neighborly.  That fine young boy is helping us with our plight, and we shouldn’t treat him with such suspicions.”

          “But—” Shady started to say.

          “Come along, you two,” Truly said as she rejoined Get-It.  “We shouldn’t dawdle and waste time with baseless suspicions.”

          They followed the path to where to came around the bend to the base of a grass ridge.  Giant boulders stuck out of the ground, many of them larger than a pony.  Shady stopped just before the bend of the ridge.  She was not sure what signified the end of the fjord, but the top of the bend in the path seemed like a safe bet.

          “I’ll just stay back here,” Shady called out to Truly and Posey.

          “Suit yourself,” Truly replied dully.

          Shady tapped her hoof as Truly and Posey followed the path around the bend after Get-It.  This was wrong.  Every fiber of her being was telling her that.

          “How much further?” Posey asked.

          “Not far,” Get-It answered.

          Shady dropped her sunglasses over her eyes again.  Maybe she could see the witchweed’s magic through them.  There was still no sign of any magic plants amongst the grass.  She concentrated on a large rock, perhaps hiding some of the witchweed.

          She thought she saw something just past its rim.  There was magic there.  She walked towards the edge of the water, trying to make it out.  She eventually got around it to see Wantall and two harpies crouched.

          “Get out of there!” she screamed.  “It’s a trap!”

          Posey and Truly turned back.  “What?” Posey asked.

          The harpies jumped out, one holding a large sack.  Posey and Truly ran back towards the ridge.  Truly was slower because of her uniform, and the harpy with the sack grabbed her by the back of the neck.

          Posey practically slid around the bend and almost lost her balance before she finished changing her direction.  Shady jumped aside as the other harpy flew around the bend with her talons outstretched.  Those purple and green bubbles and black lighting surrounded her and threw her back.  She spread her wings and kept aloft, clenching her talons into a fist.

          “Relax.”  The harpy with the sack, who Shady remembered was the one called Beta, held up Truly thrashing futilely in her grasp.  “We have one of them.”

          “Unhand me, you feathered thug,” Truly insisted, “or whatever you call these filthy things.  Honestly, have you never heard of hygiene?”

          She wriggled to look to Shady and Posey.  “Don’t just stand there, you two, do something!”

          The other harpy wedged the end of her longbow between her talons and stung it.  She placed and arrow on the stingray and trained it Shady and Posey.  “Don’t try anything heroic.”

          Shady took a step back.

          Wantall stepped out cautiously from his hiding place.

          “Boss, boss,” Get-It said.  “We got one.”

          “That we did, my boy,” Wantall replied.  “I told you politeness is an effective weapon.”

          “Then why didn’t you use it get the castle?” Get-It asked.

          “Just go get the cart ready,” Wantall said through clenched teeth.

          Get-It ran towards the rock, but stopped after a couple steps and turned back to Wantall.  “And apparently their queen is sick too,” he added.  “Something about her magic being exhausted.”

          “Probably from the curse she put on us,” the Beta said.  “It’s good to know we won’t have to deal with her.”

          She put Truly in the sack.  “She might not be the locket, but she’s something we can use.”  She turned to Wantall.  “Congratulations, Wantall, you get to live for the next few hours.”

          Wantall grinned sheepishly and forced a weak laugh.  “Just what I always wanted.”

          The Beta turned back to Shady and Posey and held up the sack Truly struggled in.  “If you want to see her alive and well again, you will bring the locket to the horse farmer’s ranch before sundown today.  Tell your fellow ponies this, and don’t plan any tricks.”

          The other harpy placed her arrow back in her quiver and unstrung her bow.  The two spread their wings and flew off down the main fjord.  The Beta held the sack in her talons as they dwindled to specks in the distance.

          Get-It drove the damaged cart out from behind the rock to just behind Wantall.

          “For all our sake, I suggest you do what they say this time.”  Wantall jumped into the cart, and they motored away.

          Shady swallowed a lump she felt forming in her throat.  It was a trap, but all she could do was stand there while Truly was kidnapped.  She felt helpless and powerless as the harpies disappeared from view.

* * *

          Wind Whistler stood back as North Star spread the map across the table.  Several ponies that had been picking up books stopped to look over the map and listen in on their planning session.  Even Paradise had pulled herself from her books to watch.

          “Those harpies might have done us a favor,” North Star said.  “I found a translated version of the map we had earlier while picking them up.”

          Fizzy ran in.  “What’s going on here?”

          Wind Whistler looked up.  “We were about to pick likely locations of the harpies’ base of operations.”  She furrowed her brow.  “I thought you were cleaning the kitchen.”

          “I was,” Fizzy replied.  “We just finished mopping the floor, and we’re waiting for it to dry.  I asked to come help in the library, so I could help you.”

          “Your assistance is appreciated, but we’re planning at the moment,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Oh.  Okay.”

          North Star rubbed her chin as she scanned the map.  “So, you’re a harpy.  Where would you build your base?”

          Wind Whistler looked at the map.  With labels in Common, she could tell what they were.  There was the Grand Trunk Fjord digging deep inland and branching out at many places.  Just west of it was the Choked Fjord with its stunted inlet and river valleys.  Between them and to the north was the broad plain of the ‘Jewel Desert’ with those crystal plants and where they found the Crystal ponies.

          This map was of the old Empire for modern interpreters.  The capital city was prominent in the center of the country with towns and cities noted both in the fjords and inland.  A network of roads connected the fjord heads to communities inland.

          Wind Whistler heaved a sigh.  “I wish I could think more like them.”

          “Maybe you do.”  Fizzy took Wind Whistler’s wing and opened it.  “You both fly, right?”

          Suddenly, it was like a blockage in Wind Whistler’s mind had come undone and ideas could flow.  She had been looking at the harpies as aliens and predators, completely different from her.  However, they were fliers like her first and foremost.  It all fell into place before her.

          “You’re right, Fizzy,” Wind Whistler said, trying to keep her elation in check.  “They do fly just like pegasi.  Which means they probably look for the same things in a place of shelter as we do.”

          “How does that help us?” Moondancer asked.  “Pegasi live in clouds in Equestria.  Obviously they can’t do that here.”

          “Pegasi live in clouds because in the early days we wanted to make our strongholds difficult if not impossible to reach without flight,” Wind Whistler said.  “A race as warlike as these harpies probably wants that natural defense even more.  However, instead of clouds, they would use the natural terrain.”

          She turned back to the map.  “We need some place that’s tall and steep where the only practical way to reach it is flight.”  She circled the southern part of the map with her hoof.  “Somewhere generally south of the Williams’ ranch.”

          “How about these mountains?”  Glory pointed to a line of mountains with open tops and smoke coming from them along the coast south of the Barrier Mountains.  They were labeled ‘Obsidian Mountains’.

          “I don’t think so,” North Star said.  “I think the smoke coming out of them means they’re active volcanoes.”

          “So?” Glory asked.

          “An active volcanic regions would be highly inhospitable anything that flies,” Wind Whistler said.  “Eruptions would create deadly ash clouds and thermal currents.  Also, the interiors of those volcanoes would be uninhabitable due to the magma.”

          Wind Whistler thought further.  “They would probably want something more isolated, too.  That way they would have a clear view of anything coming.”

          “Then what about these islands?”  North Star pointed to a cluster of islands in the middle of the bay south of Boreas.  Many of them had mountains drawn on them.

          “They’re promising,” Wind Whistler mused aloud, “but there are so many of them.”

          “Wait!”  Paradise flew to a shelf of replaced books and took one out.  She set it down on the map and opened it up to a map of one of the larger island.  “This book is about these islands.”

          Paradise turned the page.  “They’re all dead volcanoes, and the tallest is called Spire Island.”

          “What kind of terrain does it have?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “It says the mountain has several tall, vertical cliffs,” Paradise said.  “The island is also noted for a mature yew forest.”

          “Did you say yew?” North Star asked.  “That’s the kind of wood the harpies build their longbows from.”

          “It’s also believed the original harpy invasion used Spire Island as their headquarters,” Paradise said.

          “What do you think, Wind Whistler?” North Star asked.

          “Appropriate terrain, raw materials for constructing their weapons, and possibly a preexisting stronghold,” Wind Whistler mused.  “It sounds like the most logical location.”

          Paradise took the book off the map as North Star rolled it up.  “Then let’s take this to Minister Magic Star and ask her about it,” North Star said.

          A pair of doors burst open and Shady and Posey ran in.  They wheezed for air and sweat matted their coats.  “The harpies!” Shady gasped.  “They took Truly!”

* * *

          Wind Whistler winced as Shady cowered in Gusty’s shadow.  She knew as soon Shady gave them the news Gusty would have the loudest reaction.  However, her targeting her like this was still unpleasant to watch.

          “You’re such a wimp!” Gusty shouted in Shady’s face.  “Truly was right there, and you didn’t even lift a hoof to right to save her.”

          “They held Posey and me at bay with an arrow,” Shady whimpered.  “We couldn’t have reached her.”

          “You didn’t even try!” Gusty snapped.

          “That’s enough, Gusty!” Magic Star stated.  “Go sit down!”

          “I’m sick of these harpies,” Gusty grumbled loudly as she took a seat in the front row.  “I’m sick of us just sitting here.  Now they’ve kidnapped Truly.  We _better_ do something about them now!”

          Magic Star inhaled and slowly exhaled.  “I guess we have no choice.”

          “So where are they?” Gusty called up to Wind Whistler and North Star at the top and back.

          “We believe they’re holed up on an island south of here,” North Star said.

          Wind Whistler had been lending one ear to the conversation after Gusty got herself back under control.  She was thinking about what the next move the harpies might make with a hostage.

          “We might also have a rare opportunity to act upon,” Wind Whistler thought out loud.

          “What opportunity is that?” North Star asked.

          “These harpies seem to be compulsively deceitful,” Wind Whistler said.  “They gave an ultimatum with a timeline and location for the exchange.  They will likely have a trap set there for us like they did for Mr. Williams.”

          “How’s that an opportunity for us?” Magic Star asked.

          “They will probably not risk taking Truly out of their stronghold until their trap is set,” Wind Whistler explained.  “However, several of them will be sent to the ranch to set the trap first.  That means if we attack now, we could take them by surprise, saving Truly _and_ Megan while a substantial number of them are away.”

          “Now that’s more like it.”  Gusty stamped her hoof on her bench.  “Let’s hit them with everything we’ve got!”

          “It still seems risky, but go for it,” Magic Star said.

* * *

          Megan awoke with a start to shouting echoing through the hallway outside.  She rolled off the wooden bench that had served as a bed in this dark and dingy cell and walked up to the tall, heavy doorway.  She had to stand on her tiptoes and hold on to the bars to see out.

          Two harpies struggled with what looked like a small horse in a blue dress.  In fact, her proportions were more in line with those of a pony.  Only her muzzle was even shorter and her larger eyes were a little closer together on a taller head.  Her hooves were same color white as her coat, and her dark pink mane was tied up in a bun on the back of her head.

          “Let go of me!” the pony shouted with a pronounced accent.

          Megan almost fell back in shock at hearing her talk, but kept her hold on the bars.

          The pony struggled, but the harpies had too tight a grip on her.  The lead harpy followed them with her second in command beside her.

          “I wanted the locket, Beta,” the leader snarled.

          “He couldn’t get that close, Glorious Alpha,” her second replied.  “We decided to go with a hostage instead.”

          “And you let him live?!” the leader shouted.

          “For now,” her second answered casually.  “Besides, the ponies might have been willing to trick us when it was a human hostage.  Let’s see how brazen they are when it’s the safety of one of their own at stake.”

          The leader rubbed her chin.  “You have a point.  Besides, I think it’s about time we reached into our own bag of tricks with them.”  She pointed back the way they came.  “Assemble the others, Beta.”

          “By your command, Glorious Alpha.”  Her second turned and left.

          The leader turned to the two holding the pony.  “Throw her in with tonight’s dinner.”

          “Dinner!” the pony shrieked as they carried her past Megan’s door.  She got a good look at one of her hooves a harpy held to keep it from hitting her.  They were actually covered in a white coating since it had some chips in it to reveal the light gray hoof underneath.

          “I might look like your dim-witted beasts of burden, but I’m sentient!” the pony insisted.  “I have rights!  You can’t just throw me in with your livestock!”

          The two harpies chuckled as one grabbed the keys off the opposite wall and unlocked the next door.  She opened it and they threw the pony in and shut the door behind her.  The one with the keys locked the door and returned them to their place.

          As they walked away, one looked in at Megan with glare and punched the door.  The shock made her loose her grip and she felt back into the cold, grimy stone.  She winced at the pain and stood up.  She wiped off the seat of her overalls, though it was futile since her clothes were filthy all over.

          “I can barely see a thing in here,” the pony complained from the next cell, the stone wall conducting her voice into Megan’s.  “What kind of filthy beasts did they throw me in with?”

          Megan put her eye to the stone wall.  She also wanted to know since they had been feeding her scraps from their meals.  She saw them take a sack into that cell earlier, but had no idea what was in it.  She had figured geese given the size, except she had not heard as much as a honk from the cell.

          She knew lunch smelled so strange she did not even touch it, and she was hungry.

          There was a pause and then a gasp.  “Wait!  _They’re_ dinner?!” the pony exclaimed.  “You disgusting barbarians!”

          Megan suddenly felt sick to her stomach, more than being in this filthy cell for four days had done.  If there had been anything left in her stomach, she would have vomited it up.  She did not even want to think what was on the other side with the pony or what lunch had been.

* * *

          Twilight Mist levitated a device on a band in a loop to Wind Whistler.  “I’m going to attach this to your leg.”

          “What is it?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “It’s a watch that tracks the countdown until this thing recharges,” Twilight Mist answered.  “That way you’ll know how much time you have left without having to call back in.”

          “All right.”  Wind Whistler held out her leg and Twilight Mist stretched the band so it went over her hoof and secured it around her pastern.  Wind Whistler looked at the blank screen.  “Afraid we’ll be too quick saving them?” Wind Whistler asked, giving a grin to indicate it was a joke.

          Twilight Mist glowered at her.  “More likely this will go sideways, and you’ll need to be bailed out again.”

          She returned her attention to North Star.  “What’s the destination point, and just give me the angle and distance this time.”

          “Right.”  North Star unfurled the map with a sheet of thin tracing paper over it with lines drawn on it.  “Bearing one eight six mark eight, distance one hundred three kilometers.”

          Twilight Mist typed in the numbers and the dot appeared right on one of the islands on the map.  “Destination point set.  You better get down there.”

          Wind Whistler descended the stairs to the main floor while North Star glided to the crowd of ponies.  Gusty stood at their head, eying all of them.

          “All right, pegasi” Gusty asked, “who’s up for a little bird hunt?”

          “I’ve already said I’m out,” Paradise answered.  “I’ve barely escaped them twice.  I don’t want to see if the third time’s the charm.”

          Gusty glowered at her.  “Anyone else want to chicken out?”

          “I’m sorry, darlings,” Heart Throb said, “but I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

          The rest were silent.  “I’ll take silence as meaning you’re coming along,” Gusty said.

          She turned to the few unicorns who had joined them.  “I’m going!  Unicorns might not be able to fly, but we can wink and use our magic as a weapon.”  She summoned a breeze with her horn.  “My wind magic will blow those harpies around like dust bunnies in a vacuum cleaner.  Any other unicorns have magic good against something that flies?”

          Powder stepped forward.  “I have freezing magic obviously.  I could ice up their wings so they can’t fly.”

          Skyflier also stepped forward.  “My magic can reduce or increase the pull of gravity on an object.  I can’t completely get rid of it reverse it and I have limits on how much I can increase it, but I think I can make them too heavy to fly.”

          “Twelve seems like a nice, round number,” Wind Whistler commented.

          “I suppose it will have to do,” Gusty grumbled.

          Wind Whistler looked up to the control panel where Magic Star stood next to Twilight Mist.  “Any last words of encouragement?”

          “All I can think of is an old Saddle Arabian prayer,” Magic Star said.  “May you find light in even the darkest places you must go.  Bring Truly and Megan home, and try to come back alive.”

          She nodded to Twilight Mist.

          The tunnel filled with a vortex.

          “All right, ponies!” Gusty declared.  “Let’s go rattle their cage.”

          Wind Whistler broke into a gallop with the others, up the ramp and into the tube of color and light.  They burst from it onto solid ground facing a formidable mountain rising above them.  Massive trees with tangled trunks and branches grew to either side of them.  The air was warm and humid with a very slight smell of sea salt to it.  A faint sound of unseen waves also reached Wind Whistler’s ear from some shore past the trees.

          “This looks like the place,” North Star said.  “These are yew trees.”  She walked up to one and felt its bark.  “Kind of reminds me of the forests back home.”

          Gusty looked up at the mountain, her eyes wide.  Wind Whistler walked up to her.  “Something wrong.”

          Gusty lowered her brow.  “Nothing’s wrong, it’s just I’m surprised how big the mountain is.”

          It was a formidable peak, dark in color from the basalt that formed it.  It was so tall, fair weather cumulus clouds that dwarfed anything put out by Clousdale looked like little balls of cotton with it as a backdrop.

* * *

          Gergo watched the ponies from the perspective of his astro body, completely unnoticed by them.  He heard every word they said.  He could even tell which ones possessed magical power.

          “I wonder how long before they would know we’re here?” the yellow pony with the wings and hair in six colors asked.

          “I don’t know, but we should hit them as fast as possible,” the purple pony with the horn and white and red hair replied.

          He closed his third eye and opened his two normal eyes to return to the stronghold and made the slow transition to his physical body.  Alecta was instructing Frona and Desdemona.

          “Melinda and the others are headed for the horse ranch and will take up sniping positions,” Alecta said.  “You two and I will take the pony so we arrive one hour before local sunset.  We’ll make this look like a classic exchange until we have the locket, then—”

          “Ponies are on the island,” Gergo announced once he had again become accustomed to being in his physical body.  “Nine have wings, three have magical power.”

          Alecta swung around to him.  “What?”

          “And with a third of our flock gone!” Desdemona panicked.

          “Shut up!” Alecta snapped at Desdemona before turning back to Gergo.  “How could they get on the island before you knew it?”

          “They appeared instantly,” Gergo reported.  “I was not able to perceive how.”

          “How could they just appear instantly?”  Alecta stopped inslantly and clenched her entire body as rage seethed within her in response to it.  “The Bifröst.  Those ponies have it.”

          “Shall we kill that hostage?” Frona asked.

          Alecta paused for a second.  “No.  She would be easier to hold for interrogation than these newcomers.”

          She swung back to the remaining females.  “Arm yourselves and prepare for battle.  Show these ponies no quarter or mercy.  I’ve suffered them enough.”

          She showed her teeth clenched tightly.  “They’ve robbed me of my prize, cast us from their stronghold, and now stand at _my_ gates.  Well, they’re not running or tricking their way out of this one.  No.  You’ve stepped into my parlor, little ponies, and you’re going to sit in it.”

* * *

          Wind Whistler stared up at the sheer cliff rising scores if not hundreds of meters above them.  There were some ledges a unicorn could wink to and from, but flight was definitely the best way up.

          “I guess there is literally nowhere to go but up,” Lofty said.

          Glints came from above them.  Wind Whistler instantly realized they were arrows coming straight down at them.  “Incoming!”

          Gusty summoned a vortex of wind and deflected the arrows so they fell harmlessly to the ground around them.

          Lofty looked up and squinted.  Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.  “So much for the element of surprise.”

* * *

          Alecta clenched her teeth as the barrage of arrows was deflected off their mark.  These ponies just refused to die.  She glared down at the dozen spots of color on the volcanic rock below.

          If arrows were not going to suffice, then they would do this the old fashioned way.  She pointed down.  “Eviscerate them!”

          The others screeched as they leapt from the cliff.  They spread their wings and pulled them in tight to gain speed in their dive straight at the ponies.


	11. The Battle of Spire Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ponies attack the harpies at their base of operations. However, the harpies have some unexpected tricks up their sleeves.

          Wind Whistler froze for a split second at the sight of the harpies diving straight for them.  She counted eight, less than the number that attacked Dream Castle.  Once her mouth could move, she shouted, “Scatter!”

          Everyone dove away in different directions and the harpies flew just over the ground where they had been standing.  They scraped their talons across the basalt, sending up sparks.  Their talons left deep gashes in the hard stone, showing they were just as hard as they were sharp.  Wind Whistler had to swallow at the thought of what they would do to flesh.

          “How are supposed to fight that?” Medley asked, wide-eyed at the gashes.

          “There are more of us than them,” Wind Whistler said.  “We could isolate them so they cannot rely on each other for assistance.  We are more maneuverable, so our best strategy is avoidance and taking advantages of any openings they provide.”

          “Then we’ll divide on conquer.”  Gusty jumped forward.  “That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all day.”

          She summoned her magic and blasted one of the harpies coming around with a gust of wind.  She tumbled backwards several times before regaining control.

          The pegasi took to the air and spread out around the flock of harpies.  Wind Whistler looked to the top of the cliff.  She wondered if these were all of the harpies who had remained or if more there waiting in reserve in the stronghold.  With the scene descending into dogfights and her apparently unnoticed, she flew upwards.

* * *

          Skydancer had practiced ballet both with her hooves and her wings since she was little.  Even when just flying along, she would try to make every flap as graceful and productive as possible.  She had discovered how to remain in the air with just an occasional flap and dance in midair.

          Typically, this was as part of a ballet show.  Audiences would watch her gracefully dance across the stage or through the air above it.  Minutes could go by between her needing to flap her wings to maintain lift.  She had become a prima ballerina, dancing with the male lead as the story’s heroine.  However, she was putting all of her grace and agility into avoiding strikes by her harpy opponent in this instance.

          The harpy she found herself engaged with slashed at her with sharp talons that seemed to cut the very air.  Skydancer watched her movements carefully, using the angles of her preparations to strike to determine where she would slash.  She played some of her favorite pieces of music in her head that seemed to match the rhythm of the battle.

          Skydancer responded by avoiding them using the least amount of energy possible.  Her body was so flexible it must have seemed like the slipstream of the slashes forced her away like a leaf.  The harpy also had to flap her wings frantically as she was trying to almost hover in place.  The effect was the harpy tiring faster than she was.  She could hear her drawing in air while she had not even broken a sweat.

          “Stand still,” the harpy huffed.

          Skydancer did not respond verbally.  She simply continued her silent dance.  She was no longer on this alien world locked in a deadly struggle.  She was on the stage in Canterlot, the prima ballerina in the climax of her dance where she fought the evil bird creature.  She could see the audience enraptured by the aerial display, hanging on every second wondering if the prima would triumph or be struck down in a tragedy.

          The harpy flew back several dozen meters and took out her longbow.  She loosed an arrow, but Skydancer avoided it.  She spiraled towards the harpy, making her a difficult target.  She twirled around above her in a beautiful pirouette to face her back and delivered her hoof to her back.

* * *

          Lofty rolled away as a harpy dove for her.  She watched the harpy spread her wings and slowly climb again.

          “You might be good at going down,” Lofty shouted.  “What about going up?”

          She turned skyward and took off.  She climbed higher into the sky.  She saw just how tall the mountain was as she was parallel with the summit roughly three kilometers up.  The harpy was chasing after, flapping those cumbersome wings as fast as she could.

          Lofty kept herself just out of range of the arrows, watching them curve back to the ground before they could reach her.  She kept going up, the air getting colder and thinner around her.  Things below seemed to flatten as their difference in altitude became academic compared to her distance from them.  She could see the curvature of this entire world, and how the blue seemed to stretch until it disappeared behind itself with the other islands scattered about.  More of the rings’ arc became visible as the horizon’s angle lowered.  The clumps of fair weather cumulus fell behind her, and she entered the part of the atmosphere where the wisps of cirrus made their home along with the icy crowns of the tallest cumulus towers.

          She could fly higher than any Pegasus (or anything else) she knew, even holding several records for altitude tolerance.  She could withstand the cold and falling air pressure.  Even the pegasus adaptations against decompression sickness were particularly well developed in her allowing her to gain and drop altitude quickly with little issue.  She wondered if these harpies could take the altitude and all it entailed.

          The harpy chased after her, but was falling further behind.  Her rise was pulsing with the beat of the wings, a clear sign they were having trouble moving enough air to keep her aloft.  Lofty could feel ice crystals forming on her coat and feathers, and her throat burned from her lungs trying to get as much of the thin air in them as possible.  She had to be eight kilometers above sea level, a point where almost anything could not survive and even the upper end of her limit.

          The harpy was far below her, thoroughly coated in ice and huffing.  She finally fell back, the ice and lack of air having taken their toll.

          This was Lofty’s opportunity.  She tucked in her wings and shot at the harpy like a rocket.  She put her hooves forward, and slammed them into the harpy’s chest, sending her down several more meters.  However, once they were below three kilometers, the harpy quickly recovered and circled around her.

          “I thought I hit you harder than that,” Lofty mumbled to herself.

          She flew up a few meters as the harpy shot through where she had just been hovering.

* * *

          Firefly reached deep into her bag of aerial tricks as she avoided arrows from the harpy chasing after her.  She did rolls, loops, spirals, and flips as arrows shot past.

          She noticed Medley was also being chased below her.  She glanced back at her partner and a smile crossed her face.  “Hey, ever seen a double inside out loop?”

          The harpy did not answer except sending another arrow her way.

          Firefly dodged it and entered into a tight loop.  Instead of her feet out, she had them on the inside.  It was more difficult to control, but she built up more speed.

          She straightened out at full speed right from the harpy after Medley.  She collided with her midsection and sent her tumbling off course.  However, the harpy quickly corrected her course and looped back.  That was when Firefly’s harpy, trying to imitate her, crashed into this one.  The two fell several meters before working free of each other.

          “Thanks, Firefly,” Medley said.

          Firefly took a chance to catch her breath.  “For once, coming out of that into a crash was good thing.”

          The harpies came back around and loosed arrows in their direction.

          “Watch out!”  Medley dove away to avoid the first arrow and those following it.

          “What do we have to do to knock these things out of the sky?” Firefly grumbled.

* * *

          Whizzer darted across the sky, breaking her speed for a split second to make a tight turn every once in a while.  She flew near many of the harpies, disrupting their attempts to train on the other ponies and disappearing before they could react.  A harpy trying to aim her longbow at North Star got her arms knocked.  Another chasing Masquerade got a hit in the back.

          “Come on, harpies, try to keep up.  Though, I doubt you could keep up.  I’m the fastest pegasus, and you don’t seem able to keep up with even normal pegasi.  Though, if you ever did get a hit in I think it would be very bad.  Fortunately we can avoid whatever you can throw at us,” she taunted as she flew around.

          She went into a series of tight loops around a harpy until she was so dizzy she could barely fly straight.

* * *

          Surprise flew as randomly as possible to make herself a difficult target.  She would fly fast and then slow or turn, rise, drop, bank, or whatever popped into her head.  _Keep flying and make it a surprise,_ she thought.

          The harpy coming after her was the blond with the gray symbol on her dress.  Wind Whistler had said she seemed to be the weakest of them.

          “Hey,” Surprise said to her, making her stop and hover.  “You’re the weakest of these harpies, right?  Could it be because you’re not really mean and forcing yourself to be because it’s what’s expected of you?  You could join us and be all nice and realize your true potential as a good guy.”

          The harpy glowered at her and clumsily pulled out an arrow.  Her shot was bad and Surprise easily dodged it.  However, she was disappointed.  “Or I watch too many Saturn Day morning cartoons.”

* * *

          Skyflier eyed a harpy diving towards her.  She summoned her magic and concentrated on the harpy.  She increased the pull of gravity on her—double to almost triple.  The harpy’s glide path became a plummet and she hit the ground hard.  She tried to push up on her arms, but she collapsed again.

          Skyflier smirked.  “I think you now see the gravity of the situation.”

          She noticed Gusty in the corner of her eye glowering at her.  “What?”

          “Bad,” Gusty stated and walked away.

          “Oh please,” Skyflier replied.  “You’ve been spouting stupid, action movie catchphrases since before we warped here.”

          “She’s getting up,” Gusty said without turning around.

          Skyflier turned her attention back to the harpy.  She had let her magic relax, and the harpy was on her hands and knees.  She raised her talon, and Skyflier had to wink several meters away to avoid her swipe.

* * *

          Gusty galloped to where Powder was shooting beams of her purple magic at a pair of harpies circling over her.  The aura surrounding her horn would cause ice crystals form in the air around it, and ice crystals would form around the beam as well.  It was impressive, but the harpies simply weaved and rolled away to avoid it.  She had to wink out and back in a few meters away to avoid an arrow.

          Powder reappeared after another evasive wink next to Gusty and grit her teeth.  “They’re too agile.”

          “No, your magic is too narrow,” Gusty said.  “Combine it with my magic.”

          Gusty summoned a blast of wind, and Powder added in hers.  The harpies were caught in the blizzard of ice.  The ice quickly coated them and especially their wings.  They fell from the sky, but managed to land on their talons and brush the ice from their feathers.

          Powder winked away, but Gusty hit them with another blast of wind to knock them down before she left them in pain.

* * *

          Alecta watched the battle from the top of the cliff.  She clenched her teeth seeing the ponies avoid their attacks and get their own hits in.  These ponies were inferior, and should not be making sport of them.

          She looked up and saw one of the ponies was flying at roughly the same level as her with some kind of bags on her sides.  She had a light blue coat and wavy, pale pink mane and tail.  Her wings were covered in light blue feathers like the one Desdemona had found in the castle and Frona said belonged to the ring leader.

          _So, this is the pony who has caused us so much trouble?_ Alecta thought.

          She strung her bow and took out an arrow.  She tried to lead the pony, but her flying become more erratic.  No doubt she knew she was in Alecta’s sights.  Alecta loosed a few arrows the pony dodged, and she dropped back towards the ground below.

          Frona landed next to Alecta.

          “This is a disgrace, Beta,” Alecta snarled.  “Can’t you take care of a few little ponies?”

          “They’re too small and quick, Glorious Alpha,” Frona replied.  “It’s like trying to fight butterflies.  Fortunately, they hit about as hard as butterflies.  We’re just shrugging them off.”

          She lowered her brow.  “Though, being short five of our best archers is making this a lot harder.”

          Alecta did not bother turning around.  “If you had forced that fat wizard to take the locket instead of another hostage, we would be on our way to finding the Bifröst.”

          She watched the ponies avoiding the others.  “I have to applaud them for their persistence, but this is getting annoying.”

          “I don’t think they’ll be going anywhere anytime soon,” Frona replied.

          “Then we will,” Alecta stated.

          “You’re going to surrender this stronghold to a bunch of, what was it again, ‘diminutive grass-eaters’?” Frona asked mockingly.

          Alecta clenched her teeth at the thought.  She did not want to give these ponies a millimeter.  The very thought turned her stomach.  However, she was smarter than that.  “A good chess player knows when to sacrifice a piece for the greater strategy,” she said, suppressing her disdain.  “They can have this piece of rock if they’re going to put up this much of a fight.  We can take it back whenever we feel like it.  As long as we have the girl, the game is still in our favor.”

* * *

          Wind Whistler flew down to where Gusty had just used a wind gust to blow a harpy into the canopy of a nearby tree.  She turned to another harpy chasing North Star and Masquerade and blew her off course.  Wind Whistler landed along with the two.

          “There is just one guarding a cave entrance at the top of the cliff,” Wind Whistler reported.  “If we could subdue her, we would have access to whatever lies beyond.”

          “Is it their stronghold?” North Star asked.

          “I believe it is an entrance to it, but there may be others,” Wind Whistler answered.

          “Then let’s blow her away.”  Gusty disappeared in a shower of aqua sparkles.  She reappeared on the nearest ledge before disappearing again and reappearing on the next.

          “Wait!” Wind Whistler shouted up to her.  “I think it’s their leader.”

          Gusty continued winking from ledge to ledge in quick succession, apparently not hearing her or ignoring her.

          “We better follow her.”  North Star took to the air.

* * *

          The world reformed at the opening to the cave Wind Whistler told them about.  One harpy had just disappeared off the ledge, but one remained.  It was the one with her purple mane tied in bun and called ‘Glorious Alpha’.

          “So, you’re the boss,” Gusty said.

          The Glorious Alpha glowered.  “I’m Alecta, Glorious Alpha of my flock.  You have some nerve coming to my stronghold uninvited.”

          “You came to our castle.  Turnabout’s fair play,” Gusty replied.  Then she thought about it.  “At least I think that’s what they say.”

          She pointed her horn at Alecta.  “Whatever.  You’re in the way, and I’m here to make you not in the way.”  She blasted Alecta back.

          North Star and Masquerade flew up over the ledge.

          “Perfect timing,” Gusty said.  “The way’s clear.  Go get Truly and the girl.  I’ll keep her busy.”

          The two flew into the cave and disappeared into the darkness.

          Alecta got to her feet.  “You’ll keep me busy, will you, little pony?”  She casually walked towards Gusty.  “I’ll leave your friends to the surprise waiting inside.  However, you had the gall to blow _me_ over.”  She presented her talons.  “For that, I will deal with you personally.”

* * *

          North Star landed and galloped through the tunnel.  Torches provided some light, but the rough walls of dark rock made everything dim.  The tunnel opened up into a large chamber with a long table leading to a throne.

          “What’s this?” Masquerade asked.

          “It looks like their great hall,” North Star answered.

          A massive bird flew down at them.  It looked like a buzzard only even more massive.  They stepped aside as it landed hard where North Star had been standing and glared at them.  It puffed up its body as it walked around them and then took off down the tunnel they had come through.

          “What was that?” Masquerade asked.

          “I don’t know,” North Star replied.  “Maybe some kind of pet.”

          They turned their attention back to the dimly-lit hall.  “Where do you think they would be holding them?” Masquerade asked.

          North Star looked throughout the hall.  Another opening in the opposite wall appeared to go downward.  “Over there.”

          She took a step when something she had thought was a statue leapt from its perch.  It was blue like a harpy with human-like head and arms and legs ending in scaled talons.  However, it was otherwise unrecognizable as such.  It was incredibly thin, almost like a skeleton with skin pulled tightly over it with wiry limbs and no wings.  Its head was completely bald and it wore a black, leather vest and pants.

          “What are you?” North Star asked.

          The harpy-like thing did not respond.  It folded its talons with one claw pointed up.  Is closed its eyes and opened up a larger eye in its forehead.  The pupil constricted and North Star felt like her entire body had been engulfed in searing flames.

          North Star collapsed onto her stomach, her entire body in crippling pain.  Masquerade also fell onto her stomach and winced.  The eye glared down at them, unblinking and somehow the source of their agony.

* * *

          Gusty shot blasts of wind at Alecta, but she sidestepped them.  She needed to get the wind going, so it was not as fast or as wide at this close range.  She stepped closer and closer to her, and Gusty instinctively stepped back.

          “You’re a brave one,” Alecta said.

          “You better believe it,” Gusty insisted.  “You overgrown feather dusters don’t scare me.”

          Gusty’s back hoof went down further than she suspected, and she instantly picked it up.  She looked back and realized she was right at the edge.  She looked down and saw that the ground was almost a kilometer below her.  If she had stepped out any further, she would have fallen.

          The thought of falling took over.  The distance appeared to increase, and she felt dizzy.  Thoughts of falling helplessly filled her mind, drowning out everything else.  Her legs felt weak and her horn went numb.  She had put it out of her mind going up, but the overwhelming fear was taking over.

          “What’s wrong?” Alecta said, mocking concern.  “I thought we didn’t scare you.”

* * *

          Wind Whistler flew a wide circle around the ledge, watching Gusty.  The Glorious Alpha trapped her against the edge of the cliff.  Wind Whistler thought she would wink out to somewhere of cover, but she stood there.  Alecta raised her talon, getting ready to strike.

          Wind Whistler dove in and did the first thing that crossed her mind.  She grabbed the Glorious Alpha’s arm and bit down as hard as she could.  The Glorious Alpha let out a screech like that of a hawk and swept her arm back.

          Wind Whistler was thrown from her and struck the rock with her back mostly and the back of her head to less of a degree.  A wave of pain went through her, and her ears rang from the overwhelming sensation.

          “I have had enough of this,” the Glorious Alpha snarled.

* * *

          Gergo cast a constant stream pain waves on the two ponies.  Using psychic suggestion, he made all the pain receptors in their bodies fire at once.  They would eventually be rendered unconscious by the overwhelming sensations.  They already could not stand.  They squealed and writhed as they had to feel like they were on fire inside as well as out.  Through his psychic sight, their nervous systems were burning orange, representing the overstimulation he was forcing on them.

          _Gergo,_ Alecta’s thoughts reached him, _grab the girl and kill the other captives.  Do it quickly because we’re abandoning the stronghold as soon as we have an opening._

          Gergo relinquished his attack on the two ponies.  He closed his third eye and opened his normal ones.  They lay there, moaning and wincing.  They were crippled enough.

          He turned away and walked towards the hall leading to the dungeon.  One of the ponies managed to say, “Stop,” weakly.  He did not even interrupt his stride at this.

* * *

          Wind Whistler shook her head, her ears still ringing and her back aching.  She quickly moved each of her legs and her wings to make sure they still worked.  Aside from the temporary tinnitus, she seemed to suffer no ill effects to her brain as her vision was sharp and singular and any sense of dizziness was minimal.

          A large bird with black feathers and a bald, pink head and neck was eying her.  She batted at it with her hoof and it backed away.

          She pressed the button her microphone.  “Do you read me, Twilight Mist?”

          _“Let me guess, things have gone sideways?”_ Twilight Mist asked rhetorically.

          “More like diagonal at the moment,” Wind Whistler answered.

          She focused on the Glorious Alpha looming over Gusty still just standing there.  She seemed completely focused on her, leaving her open to Wind Whistler.

          Wind Whistler vaulted forward, not bothering to adjust her body to be hooves first.  At this point, it did not matter.  She slammed into Alecta’s back, sending her over Gusty and over the cliff.  She quickly spread her wings and circled back up towards her.

          “Gusty, you need to wink out right now!” Wind Whistler insisted.

          Gusty was wide-eyed and her knees were buckling.  Alecta must have had her terrified.  Wind Whistler knew that her previous bravado was based on ignorance.  However, this response was only putting her in greater danger.

* * *

          Gergo took the keys off the peg and opened the door to the girl’s cell.  She backed up into a corner as he stepped in.  The four days of being in the cell had made her dirty and disheveled.  Her blond hair was tangled and dull.  Her overalls and blouse were filthy.  However, her eyes were just as bright blue as when they brought her in and filled with fear at the sight of him.

          He closed his normal eyes and opened his third.  Instead of over stimulating her like the ponies, he suppressed her nervous impulses.  She wavered and her eyes slowly closed.  Before she completely collapsed, he put his hands under her.

          His physical body was weak, serving little use beyond sustaining his brain and its powers.  He added some telekinesis to pick up the girl and carried her out of the cell.

          He then remembered Alecta wanted the other captives killed and quickly.  Although he had no means to ending their lives quickly, he had one option to begin their demise immediately.

          Gergo set the girl down and picked up a torch from the wall.  He unlocked the cell holding the pony and the day’s spoils.  He paid them no mind as he threw the torch onto the hay covering the floor.  The torch hit the ground, throwing out embers.  The embers landed in the hay, creating smoke and soon quickly growing flames.

          “What are you doing?!” the pony shrieked.

          He closed the door and locked it, tossing the keys aside.  He then took up the girl and walked towards stairs back up into the grand hall.  Smoke came billowing from the opening in the door as the pony screamed and coughed.

* * *

          Wind Whistler watched as the Glorious Alpha circled above them.  She then looked to Gusty still standing there.  “We have to remove ourselves from this situation immediately,” she explained.

          Gusty looked down below them and snapped her vision forward.  Sweat matted her coat and her eyes wavered.

          Wind Whistler returned her attention to the Glorious Alpha above them.  This must have been the perspective of a rodent watching a hawk looming above it.  She pulled in her wings in and rocketed down towards them.  She had her talons forward, ready to deliver a killing blow.

          Wind Whistler rushed through her options.  There was only one.  She could not stop the Glorious Alpha from making more attacks, so she had to remove Gusty from this vulnerable spot.  She tackled Gusty and they both went over the edge of the cliff just as the Glorious Alpha slammed her claw into the ground where they had been standing.

          She thought, once falling, Gusty would wink to safety.  However, she plummeted to the ground like a lifeless dummy.  Wind Whistler realized she was completely out of it if not actually unconscious.

          She pulled in her wings and shot to Gusty.  She took her up into her legs and flapped her wings and fast as they would go to try to slow their descent.  Gusty felt like a bag of soft sand in her pasterns, completely limp.

* * *

          North Star rubbed her head as her ears continued to ring and her vision was blurry.  Her legs and wings felt like they were made of soft rubber.  Masquerade was also slow to stand.  Whatever that thing had done to them, it seemed to be subsiding albeit slowly.

          It emerged from the hallway going down, holding a human girl in filthy clothes.  She lay limply in his bony hands, apparently unconscious.  Despite being dirty, North Star recognized her as the girl in Daniel’s picture.

          North Star broke into as much of a run as she could manage.  She and Masquerade were almost to it when her hooves suddenly left the ground and all her forward motion stopped.  She was held in midair, and the thing’s third eye was open.  It shifted to their left, and they were thrown to the left into the wall.

          North Star was still trying to get her full wherewithal and now deal with this latest jolt of hitting the wall.  She watched as the thing set down the girly and slung a wide cylinder across its back.  It then pulled a carpet from it and tossed it.  The carpet unfolded and stopped several centimeters off the ground.

          The girl levitated from the ground and settled on the front of the carpet.  The thing jumped onto the carpet and sat down with its legs crossed.  The carpet floated towards the exit.

          North Star got her hooves under her.  “We have to go after that thing.”

          “North Star, look.”  Masquerade pointed to the tunnel he had come out of.  Smoke was pouring from it.

          North Star realized if he brought the girl from it, it was where the prisoners were kept.  “Oh no!  Truly!”

* * *

          Lofty squinted to better see the objects falling from the cliff.  They were Gusty and Wind Whistler, the blue pegasus having the white unicorn in her grip and clearly trying to slow them down.

          “Wind Whistler and Gusty fell from the cliff!” she shouted.

          “Why isn’t Gusty winking out?” Powder asked.

          “I don’t know, but they’re too heavy together for Wind Whistler,” Lofty said.

          “Leave that to me.”  A purple aura surrounded Skyflier’s horn.

* * *

          Alecta watched as all of the ponies were concentrating on the two plummeting towards the ground.  Though, a few opportunistic harpies try to take advantage only for the pony to realize and avoid.  It was still enough of an opening for them to escape, and she planned to take it.

          “All harpies,” she shouted so she could be heard and sent the message to Gergo, “take flight and leave the island.”

          She spread her wings and took to the air.  It stung to give up the old stronghold, but it was a small sacrifice.  She looked back and saw Gergo come out of the entrance on his flying carpet with the girl in front of him.  That was what mattered.

          The others climbed into the sky to form a ‘V’.  Thanatos joined into their formation next to her.  Frona passed out spare quivers full of arrows and longbows and strings.  There might be a few weapons left behind, but it was not like the ponies could use them with their clumsy hooves.

* * *

          North Star ducked down below the choking, sour smoke.  It was from a hay fire, she could tell from its stench.  The stairs ended into a hall filled with smoke.  She and Masquerade remained low as they passed by several doors.

          A door ahead had smoke pouring from it.  “Truly, are you in there!” North Star shouted at it.

          “I’m in here!” Truly’s shouted voice shouted from behind the smoking door and then coughed.  “They set the hay in here on fire.”

          “I can tell,” North Star said.  “We’ll get you out.”

          North Star bit the ring on the door and pulled, but it was locked.  Masquerade picked up a set of keys and shoved one into the lock.  It thankfully turned and the door opened.  The fire inside flared as fresh air poured in to feed it.

          North Star looked around for something to put the fire out.  There were a couple buckets of water against the wall.  She and Masquerade grabbed one each and dumped them into the room.  The flames quickly died and a choking cloud of steam and smoke billowed up.

          “Truly, are you all right?” Masquerade asked.

          Truly emerged from the smoke, choking, soaked in sweat, and stained with soot, but otherwise unharmed.  “Thank Celestia you made it.  We need to help the others.”

          “Others?” North Star asked.  “What others?”

* * *

          Wind Whistler felt herself and Gusty becoming lighter.  Not so much losing mass as things like inertia seemed to remain consistent, but gravity’s pull on them was lessening.  Their velocity was not decreasing outside of her actions, but the rate of acceleration was, and wind resistance was becoming more of a factor.  Her wings could produce sufficient lift to counteract the weaker gravity and work against their unchanged inertia.  She slowed their descent to a safe rate.  She placed Gusty gently on the ground and shot up with a flap once the extra weight was released.

          Gravity seemed to return to normal from there and she landed.  She looked around and saw only the other ponies standing around.  “What happened?”

          “The harpies slipped away while we were saving you,” Powder said.  “I think they were ready to abandon the island all along.”

          Gusty took in several breaths as she seemed more aware of her surroundings.  She suddenly shot a sharp glare at Wind Whistler.  “YOU!”  She lunged at Wind Whistler; but Whizzer, Skyflier, and Lofty held her back and Firefly and Skydancer got in front of Wind Whistler.

          “What were you thinking pushing me off a cliff?!” Gusty snarled.  “Were you trying to kill me?!”

          “I was trying to save you,” Wind Whistler explained.  “Their leader was going to kill us if we remained on that cliff, and you refused to wink out.  I thought you would wink to safety once you were over the cliff.  It was the only logical option remaining.”

          “I’m sick of listening to you go on about logic and information!” Gusty shouted.  “You don’t show any feelings or care about others’ feelings.  Listening to you is like listening to a machine.”

          Wind Whistler felt her heart pick up its pace.  Her body grew warm, especially her eyes with tears welling up in them and a lump forcing in her throat.

          “That’s enough, Gusty,” Powder stated.

          “I bet if we cut you open, we’d find circuits in there and you’d bleed oil,” Gusty continued.  “You probably don’t even care about getting back to Equestria, because no one would want to be friends with a walking computer except that bubble-making airhead and the wimp with the sunglasses.”

          Wind Whistler had spent her life learning to keep her emotions in check.  She did have feelings and did care, but she just did not show it.  Emotions were fragile and volatile, seeming to come out for the most illogical reasons.  Practical actions were more productive than emotional expression.  Feelings were more trouble than they were worth, in fact, and it was best to keep them behind a dam.  However, a tsunami of anger and frustration was hitting that dam.

          Fortunately, it held.  She kept her lip stiff and the tears stayed back.  It hurt all over inside, but she kept it from showing.  Blowing up at Gusty would solve nothing.  However, the wave subsided into a hollowing sorrow.  She felt hurt and empty.

          “I have feelings, and I do care,” Wind Whistler said weakly.  “I—”

          She was having trouble keeping the sorrow back.  The dam was seriously damaged, and crumbling.  The lump in her throat was to the point she could barely get a word out and her eyes were burning for tears.  She also wondered if she had missed something about Gusty which would give reason for her not to wink out.  She ran out of the crowd, not wanting to lose it in front of them.

* * *

          Gusty watched as Wind Whistler ran from them into a group of trees.  A sharp pain suddenly came upside the head.  She looked back and saw Firefly had her hoof raised.  She rubbed the back of her head.  “What was that for?”

          “First, payback for the first day we got here,” Firefly state.  “Second, for a pony, you can be a real jackass.”

          “Why didn’t you wink out?” Powder asked.

          Gusty felt her heart quicken, but she took it as a reason to go defensive.  “Hey, _I’m_ the one _she_ almost killed.  I shouldn’t have to defend myself.”

          Skyflier heaved a sigh.  “Some heroes we turned out to be.  We let the bad guys get away and can only fight amongst ourselves.”

          North Star landed.  “Dear me, what happened here?”

          “Gusty insulted Wind Whistler and she ran off,” Surprise answered before anyone could stop her.

          “Well, we’re going to need some help up there,” North Star said.

          “Is Truly all right?” Medley asked.  “What about the girl?”

          “They escaped with the girl,” North Star said.  “There was something in there with incredible mind powers.  Thinking about it, I believe it was a male harpy.”  She shuddered.  “I don’t want to have to face him again.”

          “And Truly?” Powder asked.

          “Truly is shaken up but otherwise fine,” North Star said.  “It’s the other captives that need our help.”

          “Should we get Wind Whistler?” Skydancer asked looking to the trees she had disappeared into.

          “I think we should let her have her space for the moment,” Powder said.

          Gusty glanced to where Wind Whistler had taken off.  She thought of going after her for a split second, but thought better of it.  She had nothing to apologize for.

          “Hey, Wind Whistler,” Gusty shouted, ignoring Powder, “make yourself useful for once and get up there.”

* * *

          Wind Whistler watched as Truly helped the juvenile dragon get the metal muzzle off his head.  He opened and closed his mouth and straightened his chin.  “How’s that dear?”

          “Much better,” the blue dragon said.  “Thanks.”

          Truly followed him out of the cell which still held the stench of smoke.

          Truly shuddered as she stepped through the threshold.  “I’ve been officially scarred for life.  How was your day?”

          Wind Whistler did not answer.  Her body was there, but her mind was locked in its safe place.  She was simply observing.

          The small dragon joined the other six along with the ponies in the hall.

          Wind Whistler recognized them as the children with the adult dragon making glass at the port in the Choked Fjord from yesterday.  They were a colorful bunch, and all male.

          “Who are you?” Lofty asked.

          The largest, having purple scales and green spines stepped forward.  “I’m Spike and these are my brothers.”

          He pointed to the light purple dragon with darker purple spines.  “That’s Spiny.”  A pink dragon with darker pink spines.  “Sparks.”  A dragon with scales as bright red as a fire engine and yellow spines.  “Fiery.”  A yellow dragon with orange spines.  “Flash.”  A green dragon with darker green spines.  “Prickles.”  He pointed to the little blue dragon with darker blue spines.

          “And the runt Smokey,” Fiery said before Spike could say a thing.

          “Hey!” Smokey snapped.

          “You heard me.”  Fiery loomed over Smokey.  “We got caught because you were so slow and Mom had to protect you.”

          Smokey retreated behind Spike.

          “Speaking of your mother, where is she?” Truly asked.

          The dragons were silent.

          “Oh, you poor things,” Truly said.  “What did those monsters do?”

          Spike rubbed the claws on his feet on the stone.  “We were going through the mountains when the harpies came down on us.  Mom tried to keep us together and head for a cave, but we weren’t fast enough and they cut us off.

          “Mom tried to fight them, but they caught her from behind by the neck.  She fell over and didn’t move.  They caught all of use and tied our mouths shut so we couldn’t breathe fire and threw us in a bag.”

          Wind Whistler felt like a dagger had driven itself through her heart.  She had watched their mother make that glass plant.  Not only had a life been taken, a mother and undoubtedly wife, but all that skill taken from this world in a senseless act violence.  It was all gone, and for what reason?

          “Tell her what they did to her body!” Fiery insisted.  “They ate her!  And we were going to be dinner!”

          The ponies gasped.  Wind Whistler could not stop herself from drawing in air loudly.

          “But you’re sentient,” North Star said.

          “Doesn’t seem to matter to them,” Truly said.  “They were going to leave us to burn to death.”

          “Do you know where—” Lofty paused, no doubt looking for the right words “—what’s left of your mother is?”

          “Probably in the garbage,” Spike said despairingly.

* * *

          The harpy’s garbage pit was more like a badly maintained graveyard with heaps of bones piled high.  It reeked with the stench of death and rotting meat.  Flies buzzed around and walked over the small pieces of flesh still clinging to the bones.

          The sight, smell, and even sound of flies buzzing made Wind Whistler incredibly ill.  Ponies had no moral problem with other races that consumed meats long as it was not from sapient species, especially ponies.  Ponies did not consume animal flesh because they were biologically incompatible.  They ate products from animals like chicken eggs and milk from cows with no qualms outside of those who insisted on only consuming vegetable matter.  In fact, now that she thought about it, if their bodies could process animal matter, it would be a good source of protein.

          However, this disgusting mess the harpies left behind made her stomach turn.

          Most of the skeletons were of smaller mammals, particularly rodents.  However, a few larger creatures like cows were also among the remains.  She did not see any skulls with the enlarged cranial cavity of a sapient being.  Hopefully, this despicable act was a rarity for even harpies.

          Quiet sobs caught her attention.  She looked over the seven dragons gathered near a bone pile.  The skull was clearly reptilian with a blunt snout and spines starting at the forehead of the enlarged cranium.  It would have fit perfectly into the dragon’s head.

          As Wind Whistler came near, Smokey grabbed her leg and buried his face in it.

          “Where’s your father?” Lofty asked.

          “We don’t have a father,” Spike answered, his voice cracking.  “Our mother just laid a bunch of eggs, and we were the only ones that hatched.  She tried to explain its something female dragons sometimes do when they’re alone for a long time, and only boy eggs hatch.”

          “So, you have nowhere to go?” Truly asked.

          The seven dragons nodded.

          “Then you can come back to us,” Truly said.  “We’re all alone in this world too.”

          “Thanks,” Spike said.

          Lofty looked to the skull.  “What do we do about her?”

          “We should bury her?” North Star said.  “It would only be proper.”

* * *

          They decided to only bury her skull since finding the rest of her bones would be impossible and it would be indecent to bury her with the skeleton of an animal.  Powder took a flat rock and made it into a primitive headstone.  She gouged the dragon’s name, Ember, into it with a piece of hardened ice she created.

          Her gravesite was under one of the larger yew trees overlooking the ocean.  It seemed peaceful enough on this island or volcanic rock.  They pulled out rocks to form a suitably deep hole and buried the skull.  Powder put the headstone in place and they stood there.

          Masquerade cleared her throat.  “I don’t know how dragons handle death, but we Crystal ponies have a ritual and belief for when we shed our mortal coil.”

          Everyone gathered around and gave Masquerade their attention.

          “When a crystal pony is born, a piece is added to the Crystal Heart for them,” she continued.  “We believe every life brought into the world makes it a bigger and more vibrant place.  The birth of a pony or dragon or whatever brings new life to the world itself.

          “However, when their life is lost, we do not take that piece from the Crystal Heart.  Although their mortal life is over, the life they have given to the world does not leave with them.  They leave a part of themselves in this world with those who knew them and the contributions they made.  Even the most inconsequential things we do changes the world for better or worse, and that leaves a legacy long after our body gives out.

          “Also, we believe there is more to us than these crude pieces of flesh and collection of bones.  Crystal ponies and others have long believed that we are both material and immaterial.  Death is merely the separation of the two and our immaterial selves, our true selves, goes into whatever comes next.

          “Because of that, I ask that you think of the dearly departed, Ember.  She was the mother of seven young dragons and brought joy to others with her craft.  She was undoubtedly a daughter and sister as well.  May the footprints she has left in this world reform it into a better place than the one she came into.  And for her immortal soul, may it find a place of peace far from the violent end her mortal coil came to.”

          She turned to the seven dragons.  “Is there anything you wish to say on your mother’s behalf?”

          Spike stepped up to the headstone.  “Mom, I don’t know if you can hear,”—his voice was cracking—“but I’ll take care of the others.”

          Spiny patted Spike on the back.  “I’ll make sure Spike doesn’t overdo it.  You know how he can be when he sets his mind to things.”

          Sparks tapped the claws of his hands together.  “I’m sorry, but I have nothing.”

          Fiery put his fist to his chest.  “Mother, know that I’ll make those harpies pay for what they did to you.”

          Flash cleared his throat.  “Rest well, Mom.”

          Prickles heaved a sigh.  “I’m with Sparks.  I don’t know what to say.”

          Smokey slowly approached the headstone.  He swallowed.  “I’m sorry, Mom.  If I had been faster, you might have made it to the cave.”  He stopped and just sobbed, the others joined him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the UK and Europe, the princess ponies came with a baby dragon like Spike instead of the bushwoolies.


	12. The Hour of the Wolf

          Buttons watched as Truly came out of the gang bathroom, running a towel over her mane.  When down, Truly’s mane had a bit of a natural curl to it like her tail.  Though, after being toweled off, it was a tangled mess screaming for a thorough brushing.

          Truly held up her leg and sniffed it.  “I don’t know if it’s actually there or just in my head, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop smelling that infernal smoke.”

          “It’ll fade eventually,” Buttons said.  “At least you made it out alive.”

          “That’s true,” Truly replied.  “I’m not sure how I survived, but I’ll gladly take it.”

          “I have your uniform in the wash,” Buttons said.  “I can also make more since wearing the same dress everyday isn’t all that sanitary for a nurse.”

          “I would appreciate that very much,” Truly replied.  “Thank you.”

          Buttons motioned with her head.  “Come on, I’ll take your measurements.”

          They walked into the main hall of the keep.  It was oddly quiet since the rescue party returned.  There was not a pony to be seen in the halls.

          It took just one look at the long faces and slouching shoulders of those who went to that island to know things went badly despite rescuing Truly and the young dragons.  It seemed to have cast a dark cloud over the whole castle.

          “How bad was it?” Buttons asked.

          “I was in a cell trying to not die, so I don’t know all that happened outside,” Truly answered.  “However, they seemed broken.  Gusty was on even more of a hair trigger, Wind Whistler was like she was in yet another world, and the rest were just downtrodden in general.  Probably didn’t help we had to hold an impromptu funeral for those little dragons’ mother.”

          She stopped and looked to Buttons with an expression like she had seen death itself.  “I’ll tell you one thing, Buttons—those harpies are truly evil.  They talk about the villains the Element Bearers faced a century ago and the Pillars of Light a millennium before them.  They may have had world-bending powers, but I can’t imagine any of them had the utter contempt for life these harpies showed.”

          “And it took our best shot to just get you back,” Buttons added, feeling her legs get weak at the thought.  “Cupcake’s right, I don’t think there’s much we could do to really stop them.”

          They continued to walk through the quiet halls.  There was still not a pony to be seen, not even going from one place to another.  They all seemed to have retreated to their own little corners.  Paradise was in the library working on that message.  Cupcake, Gingerbread, and Sweetie were making a meal for Majesty.

          “It feels like the entire world is holding its breath waiting for what happens next,” Buttons said.

          “My grandma has a name for it,” Truly said.  “She’d call times like this the hour of the wolf.  When a relative was gravely ill, and all we could do was wait to see if they could pull through or would breathe their last, those were times that felt like this.  Of course, it’s our entire little colony here that is in the balance.”

          “What would you do?” Buttons asked.

          “Grandma would pour herself a glass of the ‘family recipe’ and nurse it while we waited for any word,” Truly answered.  “She would also have a smaller glass ready in case the wolf had puppies at the door.”

          Truly managed a screwed-up grin.  Buttons felt the mood lighten a little as well.

          “It was those times that made me interested in nursing,” Truly said.  “I never developed a taste for the recipe or just sitting there with no say in the matter.  When a pony is sick, I have to do something.”

          “What’s your suggestion for our patient?” Buttons asked.

          “Sadly it is just waiting,” Truly said.  “It needs medicine I can’t provide.”

* * *

          Fizzy knocked gently on Wind Whistler’s door.  “Wind Whistler?”

          Everything was quiet from the other side.

          Fizzy knocked on the door again, putting a little more into it.  “Come on, Wind Whistler, please come out.”

          “I want to be alone,” Wind Whistler said despairingly from the other side of the door.

          Fizzy rested the side of her head against the door.  “Please.  We’re worried about you.”

          “I am physically unharmed,” Wind Whistler said.  “I just desire a prolonged period of solitude at present.  I ask that you respect that as a friend.”

          “But—” Fizzy started to say.

          “Please,” Wind Whistler pleaded.  “Just…I need to be alone.”

          Fizzy drew in a breath and released a sigh.  “Okay.”

          She turned to Shady.  “What do we do?”

          “Maybe we should just leave her alone,” Shady answered.  “She’s been through a lot, and I heard North Star and Lofty saying Gusty really went into her.”

          “I just don’t like seeing her like this,” Fizzy said.  She turned back to the door.  “Or rather not seeing her.  She seemed to be opening up to us, and now we can’t even get her out of her room.  She needs us, she just doesn’t know it.”

          “You can’t make her come out,” Shady said.  “She’ll eventually come around.  We just have to give her some space.”

          Shady turned and walked away.  Fizzy looked back at Wind Whistler’s door again.  She wanted see her cheer up.  She was the first pony she really got to know from the non-Crystal ponies.  She just did not know how.

          An idea then popped into her head.  “Hey, that might work,” she said to herself and galloped off.

* * *

          Magic Star stared at the door into Majesty’s bedchamber.  She swallowed yet another lump forming in her throat at the thought of facing her.  However, this time she apparently had enough courage to hook her pastern on the handle and push it down.  She pulled the door open and stepped in before she could think better of it.

          Glory sat at to the side of Majesty’s bed, bringing up strawberries and blueberries in her magic so Majesty could eat them.  Majesty saw Magic Star and held up her hoof for Glory to stop.

          Magic Star cleared her throat.  “Can we speak in private?”

          Majesty nodded to Glory and she got up and left quietly, closing the door behind her.

          “I don’t know whether I should enjoy being fed or humiliated,” Majesty said.  “What do you think?”

          Magic Star was caught off guard and speechless or a second.  “Well—I—uh—”

          “Never mind,” Majesty said, adjusting her herself against her pillow so she could sit up better.  “I’ve been told you sent a strike force to the harpies’ stronghold.  It didn’t go too well from what I heard.”

          “I’m sorry, Queen Majesty,” Magic Star got out.  “I was foolish to give into demands we attack them.”

          “You saved Truly and those little dragons, and the harpies were at least momentarily forced from their home for the moment,” Majesty said.  “Although not a resounding victory, I would say we came out of the exchange ahead.”

          “You haven’t seen the looks on the faces of those who went there,” Magic Star said.  “They hit the harpies as hard as they could and barely knocked them off balance for a second.  Fortunately they couldn’t land a hit, or we would be burying ponies.  Ironically, we only saved Truly and the dragons because they were going to kill them as they made their escape.”

          She took the seat next to Majesty.  “And now the harpies are out there somewhere with that girl.  We can’t even leave the valley without worrying about being caught or worse by them.”

          Majesty bobbed her head.  “Tell me, if they had saved the girl and gave those harpies a thorough trouncing, would you be in here apologizing?”

          Magic Star stopped, her mind completely blank on that statement.

          Majesty smiled weakly.  “A plan that works is always a good plan in retrospect.  The same with a plan that fails is a bad plan.  Leadership is about making decisions and taking risks with the understanding the consequences are just as much yours as the reward.  However, you can’t let that stop you from making those decisions.  Otherwise, you might as well jump in a hole and pull the ground over you because you’ve stopped living at that point.”

          She leaned back more, clearly tired.  She took a few seconds.  “You’re a cautious one which is why I chose you to be my chief minister.  You won’t go off half-cocked.  However, there are times you will still need to act.”

          “How do you know all of this?” Magic Star asked.  “You say you were a lady of the court, I had never heard of a Lady Blueflower until we arrived here.”

          “I’ve always a minor member of Princess Celestia’s royal court even though I had been there for more than a century,” Majesty explained.  “I never climbed very high in the social rankings because of my unpopular views as you could have surmised from my little monologue yesterday.”  She took another extended pause.  “That included the Harmony Era where our dear Princess of the Sun allowed getting her pet student to learn life lessons to take precedent over safety of her citizens.”  She frowned.  “It angered me to no end to see Equestria and those who lived in it endangered constantly by her inaction.

          “I pray if we ever manage to return to Equestria, those things don’t follow us.  We may be able to overwhelm eventually with sheer numbers, but the causalities would be unacceptable.”

          She turned to Majesty with a facing show all those decades of grim experience.  Up until this point, there had always been a smirk just below the surface of her expressions, but it was completely gone here.  “Forget eternal night, Discord’s whacko land, or having love or magic or whatever drained from you.  The streets of Canterlot, Manehattan, every city and town in Equestria would run red with blood—the blood of ponies slain and impossible to get back.”

          Magic Star swallowed a sizeable lump down her throat.  “What do we do now?” she asked.

          “It’s clear brute force won’t work against them,” Majesty answered.  “At least not the amount of brute force we can muster.”  This pause was longer as her eyelids drooped.  “We need to outwit them.  That is why Wind Whistler needs to be Wind Whistler.  I’ve seen many like her in my time, a sharp mind not yet too burdened with the decades of living and old ideas.  She had also been untouched by Celestia and her intoxicating philosophies and dependence on old legends.  She is a rare gem among ponies these days, and I know she will be a vital asset to us when comes to campaigns of the mind like this one.”  She again paused.  “If she embraces her talents and those around her, she can beat the harpies at their own game.”

          Magic Star sighed.  “Then we’re doomed.  She and Gusty got into an argument that cut deep, and Wind Whistler won’t come out of her room.”

          Majesty closed her eyes, and that smile made its return.  “Then it’s time for friendship to demonstrate its _real_ power.”

* * *

          Wind Whistler was alone with her thoughts yet again.  Her room was a familiar setting to her.  Though, it was her room in Cloudsdale until now.  However, a bedroom was a bedroom.  It was a rectangular prism she could close the rest of the world off from and be alone when she wanted to just turn the rest of the world off.  She lay on her bed and stared up at the wooden planks making up the ceiling.  The wood was oak with a distinct grain and few knotholes.

          Though, that was just what her eyes were telling her visual cortex.  Her mind was paying it little mind, consumed with so many other things.  She was thinking of home, their fight against the harpies, the juvenile dragons and their slain and consumed mother, the girl and her wellbeing, sending Gusty over the edge in more ways than one, and what Gusty had said.

          _An unfeeling machine with circuits for innards and oil for blood,_ she thought.  _Is that what other ponies see me as?_

          She had been called that when she was younger.  She was always the first one to know the answer, so the other fillies and colts would tease her about it.  They would gang up on her and make fun of her.  They would call her a walking computer like Gusty did.

          She figured they were just jealous of her.  She bothered to read and pay attention not only in the classroom but the world around her while they goofed off.  It would come back to bite them with the teacher, and she would get the last laugh.

          She rolled over onto her side so she faced the wall also made of planks of oak.

          However, all she did was absorb facts.  Her vocabulary came from just sitting down and learning new words when she was bored.  Multiplication tables were something her mind did just to spend the time.  She had memorized all ninety elements on the periodic table and knew why there could be no more than one hundred eighteen despite what bad sci-fi claimed.  She was swimming in facts—almost drowning in facts—she just picked up because it was something to do and she could absorb them so readily.

          Yet, reading a single pony was so difficult for her.  To her, it was like everyone could read minds like Ribbon, picking up on things that escaped her perception and putting emphasis on it despite it seeming inconsequential to her.  Even in her own behavior, there were faux pas she would commit and only realize it in retrospect.  It had led her to being as polite as possible at all times so as not to insult anyone.

          Something happened with Gusty, what she figured was shock at facing the harpy, but it had to have been something more.  And, because she did not know, she almost killed her.  What good is knowing all the elements, and mathematic equations, and all those other things if you cannot save a pony correctly?

          She pulled her tail up to hold between her front legs.  She was alone, and so she could let it out.  She let the tears flow and gave in to the urge to let out a sob.  She wondered if Fizzy and Shady were really her friends, or if Majesty was just telling them to be nice to her.  It just made her feel all the worse.

          A knock came at her door.

          This was the last thing Wind Whistler wanted at the moment.  “I told you to go away!”

          “You told _them_ to go away,” Gusty’s voice came from past the door.

          Wind Whistler was shocked to hear Gusty for a second.  “What do you want?”

          “I want to talk,” Gusty answered.

          Wind Whistler’s sorrow turned to seething anger.  All that rage over what Gusty had said came roaring back.  Yet, she kept it in check, deciding to channel it through sarcasm.  “I thought you didn’t have time for talking, and why would you want to talk to an ‘unfeeling machine’?”

          “I knew this was a bad idea.”  Gusty’s voice became more distant.

          “Please,” Fizzy’s voice begged.  “She needs this.”

          “And you really deserve it,” Shady added.

          “Fine,” Gusty groaned.

          Another knock came.  “I have something I need to say to you, and I don’t want to do it through a door.  So, can I come in?”

          Wind Whistler wiped the tears from her eyes and took in a quivering breath to try to stop the sobs.  “It’s not locked.”

          “Not locked?!” Gusty blurted.  “She didn’t even lock the door!”

          “We didn’t want to enter her room uninvited,” Shady replied.

          An exasperated groan came in response.  The door opened and hooves clicked against the wood floor before the door closed again.  Wind Whistler did not rollover to face Gusty.  She was mad at her and figured denying her eye contact was the best way to express it.

          “Look,” Gusty started to say but paused for a second.  “I came to say—” another pause “—I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have called you a machine or say you don’t have feelings.  You obviously do have feelings because I hurt them, badly from the looks of it.”

          She paused.  “Could you at least look at me?”

          She at last got an admittance of wrongdoing, so Wind Whistler rolled over onto her other side to face Gusty.  Her eyes were probably puffy and red from crying and she could feel her jaw tremble.

          “It’s just that—” Gusty stopped.  “No, there’s no excuse.”

          Gusty stamped her hoof.  “I was just really scared and let it out before thinking better of it!”

          She walked over to the desk and sat down in the chair.  She sat there, apparently absorbed in her own thoughts.  Wind Whistler watched her, her chest expanding and contracting as she took deep breaths.

          “If I tell you a secret, will you promise to never tell anyone else?” Gusty asked.

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler answered.  “Any secret is safe with me.”

          Gusty drew in a deep breath and slowly released it.  “The reason I didn’t wink out from up there was because I was paralyzed with fear.”

          “Facing a harpy for the first time can do that,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “It wasn’t her,” Gusty said quietly.  “Again, I don’t want this to get out, but…I’m afraid of heights.  I mean really afraid of them.  I was able to make it up there by not looking down, but when I did look down all I could think of was falling.”

          Wind Whistler lay there in silence as she let it process.

          Gusty crossed her front legs.  “Go ahead, laugh at me.”

          “Why?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “Because I act all tough, but I have the silliest fear,” Gusty answered.

          “It’s not silly,” Wind Whistler replied.  “I in fact apologize for not realizing it.  My actions pushed you straight into the fixation of your acrophobia.”

          “I said I was afraid of heights,” Gusty stated.

          “That is the technical term for it,” Wind Whistler said.  “And I do not see you as less of a pony for it.  Insulting me and my friends is a different matter.  Shady also deserves an apology for your blowup in the meeting hall.”

          Gusty heaved a sigh.  “I suppose she does.

          “Those two are really worried about you,” she continued.  “They care about you more than I’ve seen other adult ponies care about each other.  Though, that seems to be the case with everyone here.  Maybe it’s just because I grew up in a big city where you’re just another face in the crowd.”

          “It’s easier to be alone in a crowd than it is in a small room with a few ponies,” Wind Whistler said.  “Believe me.  I have direct experience in this.”

          “Maybe it’s also because we’re all that’s here as far as we know,” Gusty added.  “Cupcake was right.  There are no royal guards.  There are no police.  It’s you, me, the others, and what we have in the castle against this entire world.  Makes me feel small just thinking about it.”

          “I see it as the world being just that much bigger,” Wind Whistler said.  “Equestria has been the main power in our world for more than a millennium, and there are few mysteries left.  Here, we’re just a bunch of little ponies, and this world is filled with mysteries.  I feel both terrified and assured that we don’t know everything here.”

          They sat there for a few seconds, letting it all sink in.

          “So”—Gusty broke the silence—“What now?”

          Wind Whistler rolled onto her back.  “There’s no telling where the harpies have gone now.  While I like a good mystery as much as the next pony, I wish I knew more about all of this.  We had no idea the harpies had a powerful telepath with them, him being the main reason we never reached Megan in time.”  She frowned.  “I have conflicting emotions about not knowing.  I love that there is more to learn out there, but I hate when I’m caught unawares.  We need to do something, but I don’t know what and fear we could end up even worse off if we try again blindly.  I need more information.”

          “Sometimes we don’t know everything,” Gusty said, “but we still have to do something.  If we waited until we knew everything, nothing would ever get done.”

          Wind Whistler rolled over to face Gusty again.

          “I grew up in Fillydelphia, my parents were the groundskeepers of a local park,” Gusty said.  “I would hang out with the other fillies and colts in the neighborhood, and we all looked up to Wind Striker.  He protected us, kept us out of trouble and trouble out of the neighborhood.  He always did the right thing, and he was the most awesome pony ever.

          “However, he was getting to the point where he would finish high school and have to move away.  He took me under his wing, literally, and taught me how to fight and what was right and wrong.  He told me ‘Evil triumphs only when good ponies do nothing’.  I took up his mantle when he left for college, and protected my neighborhood from those who would wreck it and the ponies living there.”

          She glowered at Wind Whistler.  “We need to do something, or those harpies will win.”

          “We still need to know a little more, though,” Wind Whistler pointed out.  “I feel like we’re missing some important pieces to the puzzle.”

          A knock came at the door.

          “Yes?” Wind Whistler asked at the same time as Gusty.

          “Paradise is done translating the message and is ready to read it,” Fizzy answered.

* * *

          Everyone gathered in the meeting hall.  Wind Whistler took her seat in the back row.  Fizzy and Shady joined her along with Gusty.  Paradise stood at the podium off in the corner and watched as ponies took their seats.

          Gasps and murmurs came as Majesty hobbled into the room with Truly at her side.  Her cloak lay across her back, the silk ribbon hanging loose around her neck.  “Please, Queen Majesty, you should still be in bed.”

          “I’m just going to listen to the message,” Majesty snapped.  “I need to be here.”

          She took a step, and everyone jumped from their seat when she faltered.  However, she braced herself against a bench and slowly sat down.

          The dragons sat down in the front row and the room became silent.

          Paradise cleared her throat.  “I translated this as best I could.  Some of the sentence structure is going to sound a little dated, so bear with me for some of it.”

She looked down at the sheet of paper in front of her and started reading, _“If you are reading this, it means I have died and my family’s dynasty and the empire we built over the centuries have collapsed because of my misjudgment.  I am the last of the Valkyrie Queens and you are my descendent. Whether you are my daughter, who is but a babe as I write this, or are from a time centuries hence, you share my blood.”_

          “Apparently she didn’t think talking ponies would find it first,” Firefly whispered.

          She got a hush from another pony.

          Paradise continued reading, _“To begin with, my descendant, I should tell you the history of our family and how we became the Valkyrie Queens and built the empire that spanned this great landmass.  The first Valkyrie Queen was born a shepard’s daughter in highlands north of the Grand Fjord.  She was in love with a young soldier in the Grand Fjord earl’s army.  However, they were in yet another war with the neighboring Fjord of Rivers over territory, timber, other resources, and where a line went on a sheet of paper._

_“The earl’s berserker was killed in combat, and her beloved was chosen to replace him.  She feared for him.  The medicine berserkers used to release their strength stole their minds and less of it would return the more they used it.  The man she loved could be taken from her.  However, there was nothing she could do._

_“One day, she was tending her sheep in the Useless Fjord where the rocks blocked boats from entering.  Her family, looking to escape the ravages of the latest war, had hidden themselves in what the rest of the world considered a waste.  She came across a cave near a waterfall.  One of her sheep had disappeared into it, so she followed it.  She discovered a well with metal walls making it roughly square.  Being of a curious nature, she tied as many ropes together as she to send a buck down.  However, there was no water.  She decided to climb down to see why such a deep well was dry so close to water.  She found herself in a chamber with the machine you see before you._

_“Although a shepard’s daughter, she was quite intelligent along with being curious and was able to figure out how to make the machine work and what it did.  It allowed her to travel anywhere in the world instantly.  She realized it gave her power, and she could use that power to save her beloved._

_“Even with this power, the earls would never listen to a mere woman.  However, they may listen to a demigod.  Using the machine, she emerged on the field on which a great battle would be fought between two earls’ armies.  She declared herself a valkyrie, a handmaiden of the Æsir, the gods of Boreas.  She called the portal she stepped through the Bifröst, the burning rainbow bridge the Æsir used to travel between this world of Midgard and their realm of Asgard, and said she had been given its power by them.  She claimed the Æsir were displeased with how fruitless they had made war and how senseless they had made death.  The valyries were meant to choose who would join Odin in the halls of Valhalla and or Freya on the battlefield of Fólkvanr.  She said those killed in these pointless wars would be deserving of neither.  She was instead sent here and made mortal to serve as their queen and lead all of Boreas into a new era of unity and prosperity._

_“The earls objected, calling her a fraud, but their men quickly threw down their arms and swore their allegiance to her.  She was crowned queen of all of Boreas from the Great Mountains to the northern tip of its coast, and she married her beloved.  He became her consort and would never know the effects of the berserkers’ medicine.”_

          “Oh, how romantic,” Heart Throb gushed.

_“Although this was initially to save her beloved, the first Valkyrie Queen dedicated her life to ruling her new kingdom and subjects justly.  She wished to end the infighting amongst the Boreans, and believed fairness was what was needed.  The earls eventually accepted their positions as nobility, and the people prospered in this new era of peace._

_“She abolished the barbaric practices such as that of slavery, making the foreigners brought to Boreas freedmen.  She made sure there would never again be berserkers, outlawing the manufacture of their evil medicine.  However, she also encouraged the arts and sciences that the Boreans had long being developing._

_“For generations since, our family has ruled Boreas.  Along with the Bifröst itself, the chamber held information and records of different technologies of the civilization that built it some untold ages ago.  It explained how to generate and control lightning to power devices, as well as formulas for making different materials.  It also had records of locations where important resources needed to build a more advanced civilization were abundant.  Over the course of six centuries, Boreas went from a backwater of feuding earls on the edge of the world to a mighty empire with a technological and cultural prowess second to none._

_“Obviously this was all built on a lie.  The Bifröst and all the technology learned from it were not from the Æsir, but a relic left behind by a long dead civilization.  That fact remains true no matter what good it did the people of Boreas.  I tell you this first to keep you grounded.  Despite the claims, we are not divine and the machine before you was not a gift from any gods but salvaged.  We are mortal and fallible, something I forgot and led to the state I am in now._

_“As I write this, Boreas has come under attack by harpies from lands to the south.  It is a plague we brought on ourselves.  Something caused the sky to become like spoiled milk and the sun to dim.  Winters lasted longer and not even the summer was safe from frost.  Our crops were dying and my people were starving.  In desperation, I decided to look to the south for food to feed my people until this long winter past.  Fearing a refusal and desperate to quell our hunger pangs, I gave in to the old instincts of our people and ordered it be a raid where the food would be taken by force._

_“However, my expedition came across these flying monsters no spear could reach and they could tear a man asunder with only their talons.  My soldiers escaped with heavy losses, but the harpies must have looked upon our Bifröst with lust.  The long winter finally ended and the sky returned to its natural color as the sun regained its original luster.  It seemed our terrible crisis was over.  However, that is when the harpies arrived, demanding the Bifröst be surrendered to them or they would bring endless bloodshed to us._

_“They are rampaging across my empire like wolves as I write this, leaving death and destruction in their wake.  All of the ancient technology we have recreated is useless against them.  Sadly, we never found records on how the ancient people built their weapons._

_“Our one light of hope is my family has kept the location of the Bifröst a closely held secret among other things.  The harpies are searching the heartland, believing it is in the highlands surrounding the capital, not in this lonely fjord no one cares about.  Unfortunately, this has done nothing to protect my people from their wrath as the harpies have only become more violent as their searches turn up empty._

_“The only possible weapon I have to combat them is the key to the Bifröst, the locket you must possess in order to awaken this machine and find this message.  The rainbow inside does not merely unlock the Bifröst’s sleep, but can also be used to attack and defend.  The locket is sealed by magic so only my bloodline can open it.  However, its connection with the Bifröst is so great, not even that magic to hold it back from performing its primary purpose of unlocking it.  That is why it must be kept safe from generation to generation.  I do not wish to think what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands._

_“I am about to face the harpies directly in what I hope will be one decisive battle.  If I succeed, then this message will be erased, serving no purpose.  I will have saved my empire and teach the lessons I have learned to the following generations.  It is my hope that is the case, as I do not wish to die or see this great land my ancestors stewarded fall back into the tribalism that once plagued it.  However, as I prepare for a final confrontation with the harpies, I realize there is a very real possibility I will lose my life and my empire and its secrets will fall with me.  That is why I have made some contingencies._

_“If I should fall in battle, the Ragnarök Protocol, instituted by my great grandmother, will come into effect.  This is a last, desperate act to protect the Bifröst from falling into enemy hands; and if you are reading this message it was initiated.  The locket will be removed from the battlefield immediately and taken back to the capital.  My daughter will be taken away along with the locket and raised as a commoner.  Fortunately, she is young enough she will know nothing of her original parentage.  All she will be taught out of the ordinary is to protect the locket and pass it on to her eldest daughter on the night she begins her fourteenth year and to continue that tradition from generation to generation.  For it is only after entering fourteenth year that it wielder can use the key as a weapon as well.  Before then, it is simply a key to them._

_“Also, the main targeting part of the Bifröst is to be removed and hidden in a secret vault in another part of Boreas.  This main piece of the machine has a primitive targeting system and limited range without that part.  Similarly, the part removed has a limited ability to make portals.  Separate, they are of limited use compared to the whole they create.  Once this machine is unlocked, the locket can lead you, and only you, to the other part._

_“Oh, and if by chance you are not my descendent, then you might have found the locket and activated the Bifröst.  However, you will never be able to find the missing part without my descendent.  You will have to contend with its limits and never learn its full secrets.  Also, while the controls will adjust to suit my descendant’s present language as it did when my ancestor first discovered it, it will remain in the current Borean language for anyone else._

_“If you_ are _my descendent, uniting the parts will not only complete the machine’s power, but give you access to all of the accumulated knowledge of the Borean Empire including that which we learned from the ancient people who built it.  Use it to rebuild our civilization only better and wiser.  Assist the good in fighting the wicked and make this world a better place for it.”_

_“Above all, this machine and its secrets must never fall into the talons of the harpies.  If they gain the power to travel anywhere and the secrets of the ancients, they will be able to spread destruction to all corners of the planet unabated._

_“I must go now.  History will be made or end within the hour.  If you are my daughter, know that I love you with all my heart.  Good bye for now and, if you are reading this, forever.”_

          Paradise looked up, her eyes a little misty.  She reached under her glasses and wiped her eyes.  “It’s a bit much to know I read some of the last words of a real person.”

          Majesty was wobbling her seat.  Truly helped her onto her hooves.  “Okay, Queen Majesty, time to go back to bed.”  Truly held her up to the upper exit.

          “Well, my brain is officially fried,” Gusty said.  “Any of you get half of all that?”

          Wind Whistler sat there, synthesizing it all.  Much of it was rhetorical fluff, a relic of a civilization that had come into a means to write easily.  Tapping a few keys allowed you to create a word.  She needed to sift out the actual information.

          They now knew why the panel was so lopsided.  A part of it was literally missing.  It also explained why the machine had the ability to target by latitude and longitude, but used a polar coordinate system.

          Her mouth bent up in a grin before she could think better of it.

          “What?” Gusty asked.

          “I think I have the last pieces to this puzzle,” Wind Whistler said.

          Wind Whistler looked at the ponies in the room.  She knew she could trust any of them, but the harpies had a telepath.  As few ponies as possible needed to know the details.  “Let’s get out of here.”

          They left the meeting hall, and Wind Whistler ushered them into one of the second floor’s bathrooms.  She looked out at the empty hall before closing the door.

          “Is she always like this?” Gusty asked.

          “I don’t really know,” Shady answered.

          “Sorry for the secrecy, but knowing our enemy could read minds, the dissemination of information must be limited,” Wind Whistler said.  “I believe I know how to definitively defeat the harpies.”

          “Really?” Fizzy asked eagerly.

          Wind Whistler nodded.  “We’re going to surrender.”

          They looked at her dumbstruck.  “Come again?” Shady asked.

* * *

          “Yoo hoo, harpies!” Heart Throb called out loudly.  She waved the pole anchoring a white bed sheet she was carrying.  “Can we talk?”

          Wind Whistler watched her fly in a broad circle above them.  The sun was getting low in the sky.

          “Are you sure the harpies are here?” Gusty asked.

          “No, but this is the most logical choice,” Wind Whistler answered.  “It is the closest portion of the mainland to the islands, and local farmers reporting livestock missing and bloodstains in their fields this late afternoon suggests they have been active here since being driven from their stronghold.”

          “I’m just hoping a white flag means the same thing here as in Equestria,” Shady whimpered.

          Wind Whistler looked to Ribbon.  “Anything?”

          Ribbon shook her head.  “I’m not picking up anything as of yet.  Though, I’m not actively scanning for minds in case that male is in the area.  He would pick up on them.  I’m more concerned with any psychic energy from him.”

          “Hey!”  Heart Throb waved the flag.  “I’m here to discuss our surrender!  You could at least be polite enough to come out!”

          “If they don’t show up before the sun sets, let’s call it a night and try again in the morning,” Ribbon said.

          Several large, black silhouettes glided from some nearby mountains.  The harpies were quick to surround Heart Throb.

          “Here we go,” Gusty said.

* * *

          Heart Throb spun around at the five harpies around her.  They were massive creatures now that she could see them in flight.  “There you are, darlings.  I must say, you are all the more impressive in the air.”

          The harpy with the flame red hair sneered.  “What is this about you surrendering?”

          “It’s like I said, darling—” Heart Throb presented her white flag. “—we’re surrendering.  If you want the locket, you can have it.”  She worked the locket off from around her neck and onto her leg.

          The harpy snatched the locket away.  She looked at it and wheezed a laugh.  “We have it.  I thought the Glorious Alpha was crazy, but we finally have it.”

          “What about the pony?” another harpy asked.

          Heart Throb held up her flag, hoping it was right.  “I came under a flag of truce.”

          “Forget her,” the harpy with red hair said.  “We have what we came for.  Let’s get back to the others.”

          The harpies flew from Heart Throb and quickly disappeared into the mountains again.

          Heart Throb huffed.  “What rude creatures.”

          A flickering light caught her eye from the surface.  She looked down at a point of light from the edge of a forest.  When it stopped, Wind Whistler emerged from the cover.

          Heart Throb descended to the edge of the woods as Gusty, Fizzy, Shady, and Ribbon joined Wind Whistler.  “What are you doing here?”

          “We were keeping an on you to make sure everything went right,” Wind Whistler answered.

          “Well, I thank you for your concern,” Heart Throb said.  “The harpies have the locket, and I must say, after all that’s happened, I feel terrible to simply wash our hooves of this.”

          Wind Whistler’s mouth bent down in a slight but definite frown.  “We’ve washed our hooves of nothing.”

          Heart Throb pointed up towards those mountains.  “But we just gave them the locket.  You said we were surrendering.”

          “We had to lie to you because of the telepath,” Wind Whistler explained.  “If he had been there to scan your mind, we needed you to genuinely believe we were giving up.”

          Heart Throb stood there for a split second, struck completely speechless.  “Well, I honestly don’t know what to say to that.”

          “We need to go after them and see what they do with it,” Gusty interjected.  “Come on.”

* * *

          Alecta watched the sun slowly sink towards the horizon.  She was a little sad to see it preparing to disappear from view.  It also meant her dreams were disappearing as well.  She wished they had come north sooner so they would have had more time.  She wished she had sent a competent harpy to retrieve the locket in the first place.  Most of all, she wished she had never heard of those blasted ponies.

          She should also hunt down that greedy wizard and kill him.  She said he had until sundown for them to have the locket.  She needed to keep her word after all.

          However, what had happened had happened.  They were out of time.  Without the stronghold, keeping the girl was more of a bother than she was worth anyway.

          She turned back to the girl sitting on the ground.  She backed up from her, but Bernice grabbed her and held her down.  Thanatos waddled around them with his neck extended and his eyes fixed on the girl, apparently knowing a death would soon be at hand.

          The girl tried to wrestle out of Bernice’s grasp.  “Why are you doing this to me?  I just raise horses.”

          At this point, it was enough of a sin for Alecta to be associated with any kind of equine.  However, that was not the reason.  “You are far more important than that.  I suppose you were never told of your true lineage.”

          Alecta flexed her talons.  “It must have been such a closely held secret that not even you know.  However, after centuries of careful observation, I know your secret.  I know the blood of the Valkyrie Queens runs through our veins.”

          The girl looked at her wide-eyed.  “What?  You’re crazy.  I’m just an ordinary girl.”

          Alecta smirked.  “Why did your mother protect that locket so jealously?  It’s the key to the legendary Bifröst.  I know because the ponies have used it to unlock the thing.”

          She looked at her talon.  “I was hoping to use you to take it for myself.”  She clenched it into a fist.  “That I would complete what my ancestor began a millennium ago.”  She clenched her teeth.  “However, those ponies have interfered, and now I’m out of time.  When the sun sets tomorrow, you will enter your fourteenth year, and you become too dangerous to be allowed to live.”

          She turned the harpies still on the plateau.  “My fellow harpies, you have followed me north to this place for a chance at glory.  While the Bifröst has once again been denied to us, we will leave having accomplished one thing.”  She looked down at the girl and opened her talon.  “Witness as I forever end the direct bloodline of the Valkyrie Queens.”

          She looked back at the sun, touching the horizon behind the surrounding mountains.  She turned back to the girl raised her talon and prepared to slash her throat.  The girl looked up at her with eyes wide in terror.  A part of her wanted to make the girl suffer, but business came before pleasure.  “In memory of the harpies of the past.  For the glory the harpies of the present.  To ensure all know the fate of those who dare oppose us—” she tensed, allowing a second to bask in the girl’s fear “—I finish what my namesake started a thousand years ago!  Farewell!”

          “Glorious Alpha!” Frona called out.

          Alecta looked up.  Frona and the others on patrol with her glided in and landed.  Frona held up the locket.  “We got it.”

          Alecta held out her talon, and Frona set it down in palm.  Alecta looked back at the sun.  It was still just visible.  Although through no actions of his own, the wizard would get to live.  She had to keep her word after all.

          Alecta let the red, heart-shaped pendent dangle from its leather strap.  She smirked at finally holding it.  Her ancestor only got to see the seemingly plain trinket, and here it was in her talon.

          “How did you get it?” Alecta asked.

          Frona shrugged.  “The ponies just gave it up.”  She puffed out her chest.  “We apparently broke their spirit in the last battle.”

          Alecta’s mouth sank into a frown.  “Or it’s a fake.”

          She turned to Gergo sitting there with his third eye open.  “Sense anything?”

          Gergo closed his third eye and opened his normal eyes.  “I sense nothing.”  He closed his normal eyes and opened his third eye again.

* * *

          Ribbon had been trained in the many ways to use her telepathic magic.  Along with reading minds; she could send psychic messages through dreams, perceive the telepathic scans by others, and various other things.

          One of the more difficult powers to master was defeating telepresence.  An individual using telepresence would send their astro body out of their physical one to perceive things beyond their normal senses.  She never mastered actually using the art herself, but she learned to detect it and trick it into not seeing her and others.  The astro body did not sense light, soundwaves, or any physical stimuli.  It used its mental powers like sonar, both picking up minds and sending out pulses of psychic energy to sense the world around it.  Keeping hidden was a simple task of creating destructive interference of their brain waves so they were undetectable as well as directing the mental pulses around them so they bounced off objects behind them.

          She could tell the male was out there, an unseen ghost looking for anything.  He was powerful, more powerful than anything she had encountered before.  However, telepresnece did not rely on power.  They were safe for the moment.

          “I swear, Wind Whistler,” Gusty grumbled, trying to keep her voice down, “if that locket points them back to the castle—”

          Ribbon shushed her.

          Shady had her glasses over her eyes.  She trembled.  “I can see him.  He’s out there looking around.”

          “We’re invisible as far as he can tell,” Ribbon whispered.

          Shady relaxed.  “He’s gone.”

* * *

          Alecta picked up the girl and set her down on her feet.  “There’s one way to find out if this is real.”  She shoved the locket into her hand and held it out.  “Where is the Bifröst?”

          The locket burst open and a stream of color and light shot from it.  The others jumped back from the brilliant light washing over the plateau as the sun was gone and this stream was brighter than noon.  Alecta simply watched, smirking at finally seeing the great and powerful rainbow wielded by the Valkyrie Queen.

          The stream went forward and then curved to the left.  Alecta expected it to point towards the fjord where those ponies were, but apparently not.  Alecta turned the girl until the stream was completely straight.  Concentrating on the magnetic directions, she determined where it pointed.  “North northeast.  Interesting.”

          She pushed the locket closed the stream cut off.  They were once again in darkness.  She turned the girl to her.  “Vengeance has waited more than a thousand years.  What is one more day?”

          Thanatos turned away and hunched over.

          “She’ll be dead soon enough, my pet,” Alecta said.

          She tossed her to Gergo.  “Put her under and prepare to leave.”  She held up the locket.  “The Bifröst is finally ours!”

* * *

          Twilight Mist sat up as the map lit up with a line starting near where Wind Whistler’s locator beacon was and reached across the screen.  She stopped and made sure she was alone, and no one saw her be taken surprise.  Of course she was alone, but it was a natural impulse.

          She took a few seconds to regain her composure before tapping the microphone button.  “What just happened out there?”

          _“An impressive light show,”_ Wind Whistler answered.  _“You picked it up?”_

          “This machine apparently detects that rainbow thing in the locket,” Twilight Mist replied.  The line faded in brightness, but remained.

          _“The beam of light extended beyond the horizon to the north northeast,”_ Wind Whistler said.  _“Can you tell us its point of terminus?”_

          Twilight Mist traced the faded line up across Boreas.  “It looks like it ends at an island almost due north from Dream Valley off the north coast of Boreas.”

          _“Is it within the range of the Bifröst?”_ Wind Whistler asked.

          “Just barely,” Twilight Mist answered.

          _“Then we have them,”_ Wind Whistler stated.  _“They’re leaving, so wait a few minutes to bring us back.  We have preparations to make.”_


	13. Wind Whistler's Gamble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, here they are, TRUE sea ponies.
> 
> I know the Moochic has Habbit the Rabbit in the series. I decided he would have a golem in this because him playing off something huge that shows no emotional reaction would be funnier.

          Once again there was a gathering at the meeting hall.  This time it was Wind Whistler on the platform ready to explain her plan.  At least, she hoped she was ready.  She was constantly thinking about things.  When her mind was idle, math problems would come into her head such as creating relationships between sums and products and how there was a pattern for different numbers multiplied by perfect squares.  When active, she could formulate, challenge, and adjust plans over and over again.  Actually articulating the plan, especially so others understood her logic was another matter.  However, there was no time like the present to start.

          Truly came in without Majesty and took her seat.

          “Where’s Majesty?” Cherries Jubilee asked.

          “Sleeping soundly,” Truly answered.  She yawned.  “Like we all should be.”

          The 36 ponies and six juvenile dragons took their seats and stared forward.  The few conversations died down, yielding to eager silence.  Wind Whistler felt the hairs on her back stand on end with so much attention on her.

          “All right, Wind Whistler,” Magic Star said sternly, “we gave the harpies the locket.  What are you getting at?”

          Wind Whistler assembled her thoughts as best she could and put them to words she hoped they would understand.  “There is an old saying that if you cannot go to the mountain, you bring the mountain to you.  We failed to save the girl by fighting the harpies in their own territory, so my new strategy is luring them into a trap.”

          “Trap?” Truly asked.  “They have the locket and are headed to the north.  What’s even up there?”

          “The last component of the Bifröst,” Wind Whistler answered.  “As the message Paradise translated said, it is hidden in a secret vault only the Valkyrie Queen’s descendent can find.  Since we already unlocked the Bifröst, it is telling Megan where to go next.”

          “Ah still don’t know how this is a trap,” Truly stated.

          Wind Whistler heaved a sigh as she formulated more of her explanation.  “A vault suggests an enclosed space.  Such a location would neutralize the harpies’ greatest advantages of flight and ranged weapons.”

          She took a step forward.  “We now know the vault is located on an island off the northern coast.  We can reach it instantly, while the harpies are traveling.  We will lie in wait until they arrive and box them in.”

          Murmurs came from the crowd.  Wind Whistler swallowed, hoping she had gotten through to them.

          “You only faced a portion of the harpies when you attacked their stronghold,” Magic Star said.  “This time you will be facing all of them.”

          “There’s also the male to contend with.”  North Star shivered.

          “We’ll fight telepathy with telepathy.”  Wind Whistler looked to Ribbon.

          Ribbon sat there for a second before responding.  “I don’t know.”  She scratched at the back of her head.  “He’s extremely powerful, but I guess I have the best chance against him.”

          “The same team that attacked their stronghold as well as Ribbon will be our strike team,” Wind Whistler said.  “We need more volunteers if there are any.”

          “I’ll come!” Fizzy announced.  A pink aura surrounded her horn which seemed to bubble and fizz.  Bubbles formed in the air around her and floated for a few seconds.  “I can send bubbles into their eyes or something.”

          “I have sleep magic,” Moondancer offered.  “If they hold still long enough, I can put them out for a while.”

          “Since flight is going to be less of a factor, earth ponies would also be viable in combat,” Wind Whistler said.  “Who are our best jumpers?”

          Bow-Tie and Sundance raised their hooves.

          “You should probably also take a nurse along,” Truly said.  “Besides, I want to see those harpies get what’s coming to them after trying to bake me.”

          Fiery jumped to his feet.  “I’m coming too!”  He belched a blue fireball that quickly faded.  “I want to get those harpies back for what they did to our mother!”

          Wind Whistler was not sure if a small dragon bent on revenge was the best choice for this mission, but she was not about to argue with him.

          She looked to Shady instead.  “Shady, will you come?”

          Shady pointed to herself.  “Me?  Why would you want me to come along?”

          “Because your sunglasses’ powers could be of use in this situation,” Wind Whistler answered.  “Also, I believe you as a pony could be invaluable.”

          “Well, okay.”  Shady slouched in her seat.  “I’ll do what I can.”

          “Any other volunteers?” Magic Star asked.

          The rest remained silent.  A few scratched at the back of their heads or cleared their throats.  However, they said nothing.

          “Well, you have your team,” Magic Star said.  “When do you plan to head out?”

          “We will go shortly before the harpies are going to arrive,” Wind Whistler answered.  “Twilight Mist has been able to track their progress.”

          “Since the locket and girl have been brought together, she shows up on the map,” Twilight Mist explained.  “They’re making a beeline for the island even through the night, periodically sending out that rainbow thing.  I figure they’ll arrive sometime about twenty-one hundred tomorrow evening given their present speed and don’t stop to rest.”

          “We’ll leave an hour before,” Wind Whistler said.  “That should give us enough time to find a hiding place to wait for them.”

          “Well, then get some rest,” Magic Star said.  “I want everyone ready to go tomorrow evening.  You’re all dismissed.”

          The ponies got up and went to leave.  Wind Whistler headed for the door, but Magic Star stopped her.  “This is a big gamble, Wind Whistler.  I wish you had told me more before we gave them the locket.”

          “I wish I could have divulged more of the plan before that action as well.  However, I had to withhold so much information so Heart Throb would not be informed of our true intentions,” Wind Whistler said.  “Regardless, the die has been cast.”

* * *

          The elevator came to a stop and the door opened.  Wind Whistler stretched as she stepped out.  It took a while for her mind to settle enough to get to sleep, and it was surprisingly late by the time she awoke.  However, it was this evening that they needed to be concerned with.

          She felt rested and refreshed, but still apprehensive.  Not only would the harpies be closed in, but so would they.  They had made it out of their various encounters by evading their arrows and talons.  Close quarters could make that strategy more difficult.  Even if grounded, the harpies still had reach.

          She stepped up to Twilight Mist’s seat and looked to the map.  The dot representing the girl and the harpies was about midway across the main landmass of Boreas.  “They’ve been on the move all night?”

          “Yes,” Twilight Mist answered.  “I’m actually surprised they’ve been able to stay in the air this long.”

          “Their wings might restrict their tight maneuvers and climb,” Wind Whistler said, “but they are far superior to any pegasus with regards to gliding and long-term flight.  Fortunately, we have the Bifröst.”

          “You have to wonder why they didn’t stop to rest overnight,” Twilight Mist said.  “What’s their hurry?”

          Wind Whistler searched all the information she had absorbed about this.  She had all the pieces to the puzzle and had been assembling them to get the bigger picture.  However, that particular piece was evading her.  “Is there anything of note about today?”

          “Galaxy said Luna Minor is new tonight,” Twilight Mist said.  “That’s all I can think of.”

          The mention of a new moon led into the memory of what Daniel had said.  Megan was turning thirteen on the night Mani the Younger was new.  He must have been talking about the smaller moon which had been getting thinner and closer to the sun.  She also remembered what the message said.  Once a descendent entered her fourteenth year, which was a fancy way to saying they were turning thirteen, they could use the locket as a weapon.

          Wind Whistler tapped the back of the chair.  “They need to get to the vault before sunset.  That’s when Megan turns thirteen and could use the locket against them.  _That’s_ why they’re in such a rush.”

          “How does that help us?” Twilight Mist asked.

          “They’ll arrive at the vault around twenty-one hundred,” Wind Whistler explained.  “I doubt the sun would set much later than that.  If we can hold them at bay until then, Megan could use the locket’s abilities as a weapon and provide us another advantage.”

          “Assuming they don’t kill her as soon as they reach it,” Twilight Mist said.

          “I suspect there are measures they will need her alive to bring down,” Wind Whistler said.

          “What do you plan to do with the harpies?” Twilight Mist asked.

          “What do you mean?” Wind Whistler responded with a question of her own.

          “Are you going to kill all of them?” Twilight Mist asked.  “We’re not in Equestria to turn them in to the authorities, and we don’t have the means to hold them prisoner.  You know even if we succeed here, they’ll be after us as long as they’re able.”

          Wind Whistler stopped and thought.  She had not considered of that in all of this.  The harpies would likely not take a defeat gracefully.  They certainly would not see the error of the ways and reform.  They would need to be neutralized permanently if she and the other ponies were to live in peace in this world.

          “That is an overpass we will have to transverse when we encounter it,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Meaning you don’t know or don’t like the answer,” Twilight Mist said with a smirk.

          “I’m not a killer,” Wind Whistler said.  “It’s kind of hard to conceptualize ending the life of another sapient being.  The mechanics of doing so are chillingly easily, but me entering the state of mind to actually go through it is more difficult to picture.”

          “Well, you better get the idea by this evening,” Twilight Mist stated.  “Because once you walk through that portal—” she pointed to the tunnel “—only one side is walking out of there alive.”

          Wind Whistler looked up to the monitor.  The dot representing the girl and therefore the harpies was following the line, slowly but definitely headed for its end.  She swallowed a lump forming in her throat as she thought of what lie ahead.

* * *

          Gusty knocked on Shady’s door.  She waited for a few seconds, enough time to wonder if she should have just left.  The door opened and Shady poked her head out.

          “Hello, Shady,” Gusty said.  “Can we talk for a bit?”

          “Um…I guess.”  Shady pulled her head in.  “You can come in.”

          Gusty stepped into Shady’s room which was a carbon copy of all the other servants’ quarters.  There was nothing to personalize any of them, and the ponies were brought here with literally just what they were wearing and these mysterious ribbons for their tails.

          “I wanted to say I’m sorry for yesterday,” Gusty said.  “I had no right going after you the way I did.”

          Shady sat at the desk.  “Thanks.”

          Gusty could see a bit of a tremble to her body.  “How are you holding up?” Gusty asked.

          “About as fine as can be expected,” Shady said.  “I don’t know why Wind Whistler thinks I’ll be needed for this.  I’m not a really good jumper, and I’m not brave at all.”

          “You’re brave enough to admit you’re afraid,” Gusty replied.  “That takes some real guts.”  She knew from personal experience.  Even though she knew admitting her fear of heights would probably help, she was too afraid to actually do it.

          “I wish I was a pegasus so I could fly or a unicorn so I had some kind of magic for this,” Shady said.  “Earth ponies are supposed to have strength and stamina, but I’m pathetic at both.  I always came in last at sports, and no one wanted me on my team.”  She paused.  “Well, until now.”

          “Maybe strength isn’t what’s needed,” Gusty said.  “We hit them with all we had, and they basically shrugged it off.  I guess we need to win this with smarts, and even though Wind Whistler seems to be in another world some of the time, I’ll always pick her in a battle of wits.  She thinks you can contribute something, so maybe you should just trust her.  I mean, she’s your friend, right?”

          Shady sat there for a few seconds.  “She is.  I’m still scared out of mind by this.”

          “For once, I can relate to that,” Gusty replied.

* * *

          Wind Whistler watched the vortex form in the tunnel.  North Star and Paradise flew out with Danny and Molly on their backs respectively.  Daniel and a woman stepped out of the vortex and walked down the ramp.

          North Star and Paradise flew up and landed on the platform.  Danny and Molly had hold of their necks until their hooves touched the ground.  “That was the best thing ever,” Danny said as he dismounted.  “Though, you could use a saddle and bridle.”

          “I can agree on that,” North Star said.  “Carrying a human is something I will have to get use to.”

          Daniel and the woman walked up the stairs onto the platform.  The woman wore a pale tan coat made of an animal skin and fur that almost reached the ground.  The front was open, so her overalls and blouse were visible underneath.  Her red hair was tied into thick braids, and a hat with a wide brim sat on top of her head.

          The woman looked to Wind Whistler and Twilight Mist and smiled.  “Hey there.”

          “Hello,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “I would like you to meet my older sister, Charlotte,” Daniel said.

          “So, you’re the third pony who saved my little brother,” Charlotte said, holding out her hand.

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler replied, allowing Charlotte to take her hoof and give it a firm shake, “I’m Wind Whistler.”

          “I thought Daniel was pulling my leg about talking ponies and rainbow portals.”  Charlotte looked around.  “Needless to say I’m surprised it’s all true, but pleasantly so.”

          She looked to the monitors.  “So, you’re planning to save my niece from those Epona-foresaken harpies?”

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler answered.  “However, we won’t be making our move until this evening.”

          Twilight Mist pointed to the dot on the map.  “The harpies and your niece are there.”

          “Thank Epona she’s still alive,” Charlotte exhaled.

          “They need her for the moment,” Twilight Mist said.  “Did those two tell you what we learned?”

          “Yup,” Charlotte answered.  She nudged Daniel.  “Married a secret princess.  You certainly know how to pick ‘em, Little Brother.”

          “I can assure you it never came up,” Daniel said.

          They boarded the elevator, and Charlotte flinched when it began to rise.  “This is a new experience.”

          “Aside from being Mr. William’s older sister,” Paradise said, “tell us a bit about yourself.  You’re the only one we saw wearing a coat like that.”

          “That’s because I’m my band’s Puma,” Charlotte said.  “I’m the leader”—she held up the side of her coat—“and this coat is proof of it.  It’s even where the name of the title comes from since this is puma hide.”

          “As in a mountain lion?” North Star asked.

          Charlotte nodded.  “Nasty critters.  They wait in the edge of woods near herds until a wayward foal gets too far from the others and too close to the woods.  Then—” she clapped hands loudly, startling Wind Whistler and the others.  “It’s considered a rite of passage to bring one of those things down and save a foal.  We skin it and make a coat from it for the leader.”

          She nudged Daniel again.  “You don’t have to worry about that since you settled into Borean life and have a nice fence to keep your herd in.”

          “I’m not even sure if I have home or herd anymore,” Daniel said.  His expression sank into a frown along with Danny and Molly’s.

          “Sorry about that,” Charlotte said.  “We’ll help you rebuild what those overgrown feather dusters took from you.”

          “I know, Sis,” Daniel said in a quiet voice.

          The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open.  They stepped out into the hall and Charlotte once again took in her surroundings.  “I have never seen the like.  I’ve been invited to the castle of our fjord earl when he needs new horses for his cavalry, but their fortresses don’t hold a candle to this.”

          She looked at a sconce.  “Or solei quartz as the case maybe.  There must be a very rich diamond dog out there to light this place.”

          Paradise hopped ahead of them.  “I can take you to our library.”

          “That’s very kind,” Charlotte replied as she followed her.  “I may not look it, but I’m a bit of a bookworm.  There’s a lot of time to read when you’re watching over your herd.  The first thing I do when I roll into town is check the local library and bookstore.  You can tell a lot about a people from the stories they tell.”

          “I wholeheartedly agree,” Paradise said.

          Wind Whistler turned away from the group and headed towards the dining hall.

* * *

          Dinner was light after more generous meals earlier in the day.  They needed to be light on their hooves and wings for confronting the harpies.  There was not a cookie to be found, just grass dried to a crunch and some fruit.

          Fizzy swallowed.  “Are you ready for this?”

          Wind Whistler chewed her grass a couple times before swallowing and looking up at Fizzy.  She remembered she was a few years younger than her, arguably still a filly.  Yet, she would be facing the harpies with them.  Wind Whistler remembered what Twilight Mist had said.  They would have to kill these harpies, and—as hard as it was for her to imagine taking a life—Wind Whistler could not see Fizzy killing anyone.

          “As ready as I’ll ever be,” Wind Whistler said.

          Fizzy smiled lifted her glass and fork with her magic.  She tapped the fork to the side of her glass, and the room fell silent as all attention came on her.

          “I propose a toast,” Fizzy said.  “To whatever brought us here.”

          The room was dead silent.  Wind Whistler felt her skin prickle as she tried to imagine what was going through the minds of the others.

          Bow-Tie picked up her glass and held it up.  “I second that sentiment.”

          She looked to the crowd.  “Except, I’d call it what brought us together.  When we first appeared here four days ago, we were all strangers from all over Equestria.  We came from Los Pegasus to Fillydelphia and from Mareami to the Crystal Empire.  We were scared and confused.  Ice falling out of the sky terrified us within an hour of showing up here.

          “However, we’ve shown the real power of ponykind.  It’s not unicorn magic or pegasus flight or earth pony strength.  It’s not even superweapons like the Elements of Harmony or Starswirl the Bearded’s spells.  It’s our ability to form communities.  Even a bunch of strangers seemingly marooned in an alien world can band together and make a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

          “I mean, look at us.  We’re about to take on the biggest bully on the block for a second round.”  She smirked.  “And hopefully come out ahead this time.”

          Some low chuckles came from the crowd.

          “I think that’s something we’ve forgotten during the current Pax Equestria,” Bow-Tie continued.  “The communities have already been formed.  It’s good to see we haven’t lost that.

          “Also, we seem to compartmentalize ourselves.  Which has been rather bad for a lot of us here.”  That statement got a few nods, including from Wind Whistler.  “We’re some of the few who don’t neatly fit into the pigeonhole we’re supposed to go in.

          “I remember back in school when my teacher gave us the lessons on symbols, or ‘cutie marks’ as the traditionalist old nag insisted on calling them, and special talents.  We treat our special talents like the be all and end all of our existence.  We have to get jobs related to them.

          “Yet, we are more than that one talent and an emblem..  It might be what makes us unique, but it is not all of what we are.  Here, removed from the centuries of tradition and the way of doing things because it’s how we’ve always done them, maybe we can rediscover not just what it means to build a community, but be an individual as well.”

          Bow-Tie pointed to herself.  “Take me.  My special talent is related to ribbons and accessories.  However, do you think I’m going after those harpies because I want to tie bows in their hair?  No!  I intend to kick their sorry butts.”  She jumped onto the table.  “Who’s with me?!”

          The other ponies and dragon going lifted their glasses and gave a cheer.

          “That’s what I thought.”  Bow-Tie hopped and held up her glass again.  “So, to whatever brought us and together.  And to the harpies making a very satisfying thud when they come crashing back to earth.”

          “Cheers,” everyone said and drank from their glasses.

          Fizzy set down her glass.  “I almost don’t want to go back to the Crystal Empire.  Because then I’d never see you again, Wind Whistler.”

          “I suppose we could find each other if we ever manage to return,” Wind Whistler replied.  “We could arrange reunions.”  She pictured them signing up for reservations as the ‘Ponies Who Mysteriously Appeared in Another World Reunion’.

          “It would just not be the same,” Fizzy said.  “Here, we can be together.”

          Wind Whistler contemplated that.  Fizzy was becoming the closest friend she ever had.  It would be a shame for them to be separated.

          An electronic chime sounded.  Wind Whistler looked to the clock showing it was getting close to eight.

          “Attention ponies, dragons, and humans,” Twilight Mist’s voice came from the speakers.  “The balloon’s going up.  Everyone headed to the Great White North report to the Bifröst Chamber on the double.”

          “We have more important things to worry about at the moment,” Wind Whistler said.

* * *

          Wind Whistler had gotten use to the pack slung across her back.  Skyflier and Sundance were also being fitted with them this time to make sure someone had a working radio when things got harry.  She had tried to picture how bipeds would wear these things and figured they went around their waists.

          Truly also had bulging bags of first aid supplies tied around her.  While Wind Whistler understood intention and desire, she wondered if it was practical.  If a harpy managed to land the blow, it would almost certain by fatal.

          Wind Whistler looked at the map.  The harpies were getting close but still well removed from the island.  “I guess this is it,” Wind Whistler said, steeling herself for the task ahead.

          “It looks that way,” Twilight Mist said.

          “Oh, with multiple radios, the knob on your pack changes the channel to different receivers.”  She pointed to the black knob next to the power switch.

          Wind Whistler worked her pastern around it and managed to make it turn until it clicked and then back.

          “I noticed Magic Star isn’t down here,” Wind Whistler said, looking at the few ponies who came to see them off.  The Williams’ and Charlotte had come to welcome Megan immediately with all went well; but Heart Throb, Paradise, Glory, and Lickety-Split, and Seashell were the only ponies not going here besides Twilight Mist.

          “She said it must have been bad luck for her to see you off last time,” Twilight Mist replied.  She coughed a laugh.  “Like her presence here had any bearing on what happened four hundred kilometers away.”

          “So says the pony who preaches the power of wishes,” Wind Whistler replied with a grin.

          Twilight Mist shot Wind Whistler a glare so sharp she could almost feel it pierce her skin.  “Just get down there!” she snapped.

          Wind Whistler glided down to the others.  The rings lit up the vortex formed and filled the tunnel.

          “No catch phrase this time?” Skyflier asked Gusty.

          Gusty furrowed her brow.  “Uh…let’s hit the beach!”

          Skyflier shrugged.  “Works for me.”

          They ran through the vortex and emerged onto a rocky beach.  The air was noticeably cooler with a heavy scent of salt to it.  Waves capped by white foam rolled in rhythmically, crashing against the rocks and retreating back.  Another rocky island sat on the other side of a narrow channel to the west of them.

          “Hey!”  Surprise pointed to the south.  “Look at the rings!”

          The rings were in the southern sky, but much lower.  They also appeared to be not as wide while more opaque.

          “What happened to them?” Surprise asked.

          “Nothing,” Wind Whistler answered.  “We are at a significantly higher latitude on a spherical body, so our perspective of them has changed.”

          “Oh,” Surprise said.

          “Is that why the sun is still so high in the sky?”  North Star pointed to the northwest.

          The sun was still low, but it was just about to set at Dream Castle.  Wind Whistler figured it would take another eighty minutes or so for the sun to set here.  She thought of some things Galaxy had been talking about.  One of them is the axis of the rotation and the noontime position of the sun did not form a right angle, rather an acute one.  “I think it’s because this world is a sphere spinning on an axis of rotation titled relative to its sun so this hemisphere facing the sun more directly at this point in its orbit.  At this higher latitude, the shadow of the sphere covers less of a given parallel.  Come autumn and winter, the opposite will be true as higher latitudes will have less daylight than the lower ones.”

          “Enough astronomy lessons!” Gusty snapped.  She stopped her, and relaxed her expression.  “Where’s this vault, Wind Whistler?”

          A flash came low on the southern horizon.  A beam shot forward and hit the face of the island on the other side of the channel.

          “What was that?” Skyflier asked.

          “That was the rainbow from the locket,” Wind Whistler said.  “It’s pointing to the vault”—she smacked her hoof on her forehead—“on the other island.”

          She tapped the button on her microphone.  “Twilight Mist, come in.”

          _“Twilight Mist here,”_ Twilight Mist’s voice came into her earpieces.

          “We’ve run into a slight conundrum here,” Wind Whistler said.  “We’re on the wrong island.  The beam is striking the one immediately west of us.”

          _“I’ve already told you, the farther we go out, the less accurate the destination,”_ Twilight Mist replied sternly.  _“Just feel lucky you came out on dry land.”_

          There was a bit of a pause and groan.  _“You’re so far out the whole island we want is between minutes of arc,”_ Twilight Mist said.  _“Besides, it would take too long to bring you back and send you again anyway.”_

          “We’ll think of something,” Wind Whistler said.  “Wind Whistler out.”

          “What do we do?” Lofty asked.  “The pegasi can fly across, but what about the others?”

          “Yeah,” Fizzy said.  “It’s too far to wink to.”

          “I can make us light enough to carry,” Skyflier suggested.

          Firefly looked at the waves warily.  “Why did it have to be water?”

          “I’m with you,” Fiery said, a slight quiver to his voice.  “Dragons and water don’t mix.”

          “Shoo be doo, shoop, shoop be doo,” several voices sang in perfect harmony.

          Six pony heads popped out of the water, rising to show the seahorse-like bodies they were attached to.

          “Sea ponies?” North Star asked.

          “That’s right,” the blue sea pony with a yellow ribbon tied in her purple mane answered.  “So, land ponies were brought here too.  Equestrians?”

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler answered.  “Are you Northern Ocean sea ponies?”

          The sea ponies had thick manes or hair, a sign of them coming from the colder northern oceans along with their dense coats of hair, and thicker bodies and smaller fins than the aquatic forms the hippogriffs assumed.  Also, their signature singing of ‘Shoo be doo, shoop, shoop be doo’ was how Northern Ocean sea ponies said hello and goodbye.

          “That we are,” the blue sea pony said.  “I’m Sea Winkle.”

          “Wavedancer,” the pink sea pony with a light pink ribbon in her blue mane said.

          “Sealight.”  The sea pony with a purple coat and pink mane decorated with a yellow ribbon followed.

          “Sand Dollar.”  The sea pony with a pink coat and vibrant yellow mane held by a dark pink ribbon.

          “Whitecap,” the white sea pony with a white ribbon in her dark purple mane streak with bright blue said.

          “And I’m Sea Mist,” the other white sea pony finished their introductions.  She had a red mane streaked with light pink and held by a pink ribbon.

          “Well, I’m Wind Whistler,” Wind Whistler said.  She looked back at the other eighteen ponies and juvenile dragon.  “Perhaps we can save the full introductions for later.”

          “So, you want to get to the other island?” Sea Winkle asked.  “We can help you with that.”

          “You can?” Firefly asked.

          “Sure.”  Whitecap disappeared into the water along with the others.  After several seconds, three giant clam shells popped up onto the surface followed by the sea ponies holding sea weed tied around them.

          “Hop aboard,” Sealight said.

          They pushed the clam shells on to the shore to allow the earth ponies and unicorns and step on board.  They pulled on the seaweed and dragged the shells back into the water and across the waves.

          Wind Whistler flew low close to Sea Winkle.  “What happened?  How did you end up here?”

          “We’re not entirely sure,” Sea Winkle answered.  “We just woke up in a strange ocean.  When we breached, we saw the rings and the two moons.  It was definitely a shock.”

          “It was to us as well,” Wind Whistler replied.  “What are the oceans of this world like?”

          “We’ve only really been in this channel,” Sealight said.  “We’re not sure if we want to go into the open ocean.”

          “Though, it’s cold even for our tastes,” Sea Winkle said.  “We could stand to be at little further south.  Where did you appear?”

          “We appeared in a fjord on the south shore of this landmass,” Wind Whistler answered.  “I would welcome you to our home, even though the surface of our inlet is brackish at best.”

          “That’s no problem for Northern Ocean sea ponies,” Sea Winkle said with a smirk.  “Salt water, fresh water, brackish water—we can live in it all just fine.  My older sister made her home in a lake near the Crystal Empire.”

          “If you came from the south, how did you end up on that island?” Sealight asked.

          “It’s rather complicated,” Wind Whistler replied, realizing that was the understatement of the century.  “We used a device that lets us travel great distances, but it put us on the wrong island.”

          “Then I guess it’s a good thing we’ve been hanging out in this channel since we got here,” Sea Winkle said.

          “You wouldn’t know what that beam that keeps coming from the south is, would you?” Sand Dollar asked.

          “That would be the harpies,” Gusty answered.  “We came here to set a trap for them.”

          Sand Dollar swallowed.  “Why’s that?”

          “They’ve kidnapped a local and are looking for a component of the device we used to reach here,” Wind Whistler explained.  “We have had several encounters with them since we arrived here.”

          “What happened?” Sand Dollar asked, her voice wavering.

          “We’ve survived by tricks and blind luck,” Lofty said plainly before Wind Whistler could say anything.

          The sea ponies looked back to them.  “And you’re going after them on purpose?” Sealight asked.

          “They’re extremely powerful creatures,” Wind Whistler said.  “However, we believe that island will provide an environment in which we will have the advantage.”

          “Well, good luck,” Sea Winkle said.

          They reached the shore, and the pegasi helped the sea ponies push the shells onto the shore for the others to hop off.  The island was much like the other with a rocky beach surrounding a rock in the center.

          “All right, Wind Whistler,” Gusty said, “where’s this vault.”

          “No doubt its entrance has been concealed,” Wind Whistler said.  “When the harpies arrive, they will use the locket to find it and unlock it.”

          A clacking sounding echoed off the rock.  Surprise wiggled her ears and flew around a large rock.  Wind Whistler followed her, listening intently to the sound.  As they circled the rock, a large humanoid came into view driving a pickaxe into the ground.  As they got closer, Wind Whistler could see just how large it was with sharp, boxy features.  It wore a black curiass and greaves over its body which looked like it was made of red clay.  A helmet with a guard over the nose covered most of its head.

          The creature continued to drive the pickaxe into the ground and pulling out stones from the hole it was gouging.  Wind Whistler landed alongside Surprise.  Apparently, their touching down somehow alerted the creature to their presence.  It stopped immediately and turned to look at them.  Its eyes were completely blank, even more so than those of the horses they met.  There was some sense of alertness in the horses’ eyes to their world around them in though they were not as attentive to detail as the eyes of a sapient.  However, this creature had eyes that gave absolutely no sense of focus.

          It held up its pickaxe and walked towards them.  Although its posture seemed neutral, Wind Whistler felt threatened by its approach.  It was much taller than a human man with thicker features.  She backed up as it drew near.

          “Leave them alone, Emmett,” a voice said gently.

          The creature stopped and lowered its arms.  It turned back to an outcropping.

          A small man walked out into the open with a pickaxe resting on his shoulder.  He was much shorter than Daniel, perhaps even shorter than Danny.  The trunk of his torso was wide for his height, but he was not ball-shaped like Wantall.  He had a thick, light gray beard and massive mustache.  His clothing was varying shades of green and brown, a wide belt separating his shirt and pants under a long coat and his pointed ears sticking out of his green hat.

          “Please forgive Emmett here,” the man said.  “I told him to defend our claim, and he obeys—sometimes a little too well.”  He lowered his brow and pointed at them.  “You better not be claim jumpers!”

          “What’s going on, you two!” Truly called out as she and the others came running.

          “You _really_ better not be claim jumpers,” the man added, though not as forcefully.

          “We’re fine,” Wind Whistler said as the others surrounded them.  “We just met these two.”

          “And who might you be?” Truly asked.

          The man took off his hat, revealing he had normal human ears on the sides of his balding head and the pointed ears were sewn onto his hat.  “The name is Terrannce, but most knew me as the Magnificent Moochic in my prime.”  He replaced his hat on his head, straightening it so the ears were even.  “Though, you can call me Mr. Moochic.  Most everyone calls me that nowadays.”

          Firefly pointed up the large creature.  “What is that?”

          The Moochic looked up at it.  “This is Emmett, my golem.  He is my manservant, body guard, and traveling companion.”

          Surprise took to the air and flew around him.  “He’s certainly weird-looking.”

          Emmet suddenly grabbed her by the neck and slid his eyes to the side in her general direction.

          “And has a really good grip,” Surprise choked.

          “Let her go, Emmett,” the Moochic instructed.

          Emmet opened his hand and Surprise dropped to the ground.

          “What kind of life form is a golem?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “Life form?”  The Moochic chuckled.  “He’s not alive like you and me.  He’s a body of clay I animated with an incantation.”

          He pointed at Wind Whistler.  “A better question is what matter of creature are you, and what are you doing on this island?”

          “That’s actually two questions,” Wind Whistler said.  “However, we are ponies, and we’ve come to this island seeking a hidden vault.”

          “So, you not here to take my claim?” the Moochic asked.  He stroked his beard.  “Though, if there is a vault here, I should have gotten the salvage rights as well as the mineral rights.”

          “What are you digging for?” Lofty asked, looking in the hole Emmett had been digging.  “Silver and gold?”

          “Silver and gold?” the Moochic asked in a huff.  “Please.  I’m not some money-grubbing digger.”

          “Then what minerals are mining for?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “Manganese,” the Moochic answered.  “I’m an earth mage, and manganese has many scientific and magical properties important to my work.”

          “Found any?” Firefly asked.

          The Moochic set down his pickaxe on its head and rested his elbow on the butt of the handle.  “No, sadly.”  He heaved a sigh.  “I guess old Mr. Moochic really is washed up.”  He kicked a stone.  “Wouldn’t surprise me if the island didn’t have a speck of it.”

          _“Wind Whistler, come in,”_ Twilight Mist’s voice into Wind Whistler’s earpiece.

          Wind Whistler pressed the button on her microphone.  “Wind Whistler here.”

          _“I see you reached the other island,”_ Twilight Mist said.

          “We met some sea ponies,” Wind Whistler replied.

          _“Well, the harpies are less than thirty kilometers from you,”_ Twilight Mist said.  _“If you haven’t found cover, you should do it now before they get over the horizon.”_

          “We’ll head for cover now,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Cover from what?” the Moochic asked.

          “Harpies are coming,” Wind Whistler answered.  “We were expecting them.”

          “Harpies?!” the Moochic blurted.  “Oh dear, I hope you know what kind of fire you’re playing with.”

          “You wouldn’t happen to know where we could hide, would you?” Lofty asked.

          “Actually, have you noticed the beams striking this island?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “I certainly have?” the Moochic answered.  “Are the harpies behind them?”

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler said.

          The Moochic pointed to the face of the rock behind them.  “It’s always hitting there.”

          “Is their anywhere we could hide near it?” Wind Whistler asked.

          The Moochic looked to the west where the sun was getting lower along with Luna Minor only unseen.  He then looked to the east where the almost full Luna Major was just coming above the horizon.  “We’re close to the maximum ebb of a super spring tide, so a sea cave nearby might be exposed.”

          “Take us to it, quickly,” Wind Whistler said.

          The Moochic was surprisingly fast given his small body and apparent age.  He navigated the uneven and loose rocks even more adeptly than Wind Whistler could.  They reached the beach where the sea ponies were bobbing in the water.

          “What’s going on?” Sealight asked.

          “The harpies are almost here,” Wind Whistler answered.  “We’re going to take cover and wait for them.”

          “We’ll hide underwater,” Sea Winkle said.

          “Good idea,” Lofty said.

          “What about their telepath?” Ribbon asked.  “If he picks on their minds, our cover will be blown.  We should take them with us so I can hide their minds.”

          “Good point,” Wind Whistler replied.

          The unicorns levitated the sea ponies out of the water and onto their backs.  The Moochic led them to a cave right at the water.  They entered the cave and retreated deep inside.

          Wind Whistler motioned to Shady to join her behind a rock and peeked out from behind it.  A beam came from the south and streaked overhead.  “Use your glasses to watch for the harpies.”

          Shady dropped her glasses over her eyes.  She squinted and looked to the south.  “I don’t see them.  They must still be behind the horizon.”

          Wind Whistler felt something cold around her hooves.  She looked down and saw water lapping into the cave.  She looked at the walls of the cave which were encrusted with barnacles, suggesting water filled the cave on a regular basis.

          Truly picked up her hoof as the water approached.  “Why’s water coming in?”

          “The tide has started to flow again,” the Moochic said.  “Mani the Elder is going to set and the water will flood much of the island by midnight.”

          He picked up four rocks, holding the largest in one hand and arranged the three smaller ones with the largest among them in the center in the other so they formed a line with the largest.  “Mani the Younger is new and Mani the Elder is just about full.  Together with the sun”—he bobbed his hand holding the largest rock—“They’re all pulling along the same line, adding their influence on the ocean together make it rise and fall to its extremes.”

          “We’ve noticed the tides have been getting more extreme each day,” Sand Dollar said.  “We didn’t realize why until now.”

          The Moochic looked down at the water which was already a few centimeters deep.  “Hopefully the harpies will come soon, because this cave can fill up real quick now that tide is flowing.”  He stopped and thought.  “What am I saying?  I want harpies to get here quickly?”

          Firefly hovered above the water and Fiery jumped onto her back.  “This trip just keeps getting better and better,” Firefly grumbled.

          Wind Whistler turned back to Shady.  “See anything?”

          “No, not—” Shady said but stopped.  “Wait, I see them!  They’re just coming over the horizon!”

* * *

          Alecta ground her teeth as she heard Frona yawn.  She was tired as well after being on the wing for an entire day and not sleeping in almost two days.  However, she was not about to let fatigue deny her the prize before her.  They could sleep once the Bifröst was secure.  The sun was already getting low in the sky, lower than she had planned.  They needed to find it quickly and unlock it quickly so they could get rid of the girl before the sun was gone.

          They were also running out of land.  They had crossed over the coast to the ocean, and two islands were rising above the horizon in front of her.  “Gergo, send out the key again.”

          “We just sent it out,” Frona said.

          “Just do it!” Alecta snapped.

          Gergo took hold of the girl’s hand and placed the locket in it.  The rainbow shot out and hit the island to the west.  Alecta concentrated to make sure it was actually hitting the giant rock jutting out of the sea.  Yes, it was hitting the island.

          Alecta smirked.  “Finally.”  She turned back to the others with bags and dark circles under their bloodshot eyes.  “Head for the west island quickly.”  She faced forward at the seemingly unassuming rock.  “The Bifröst is within my grasp.”


	14. The Ultimate Prize

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the final clash between the ponies from Equestria and the harpies. This time, it's all on the line. No side will emerge victorious.

          A tradition of the harpies, especially those of high station, is to take an egg that will soon hatch—one where candling could reveal its gender—to the oracle to have its fate told.  Knowing their fate, their mother would give them their name.  Alecta was told of her divination many times.  The oracle prophesied that she would take the Valkyrie Queen’s Bifröst and travel through it to a place where no harpy had ever been before.

          Alecta’s family had a history with Boreas and its legendary Empire as the descendents of the original invasion commander.  They knew the Valkyrie Queen’s daughter had escaped the invasion, and hunted her bloodline for centuries.  They were delighted to hear her prophecy and named her after that commander.  Her destiny was to bring the Bifröst to the harpies, the power they had lusted for.

          She was trained from hatching as a warrior and leader.  Every waking moment of her life was dedicated to preparing for her destiny.  She learned the cultures of Boreas and the surrounding powers to know her potential enemies.  She was trained in melee combat and with the longbow.  She studied the strategies and methods of the greatest military and political leaders.

          However, by the time she reached the age when she could actually act on her destiny, the harpies as a people had cooled on the idea.  A new Supreme Alpha had taken power and was content with the lands and spoils they had within their domain.

          Alecta would not be denied.  She continued her family’s work of tracking down the Valkyrie Queen’s bloodline, finally striking pay dirt.  The mother died the winter before her eldest daughter came of age.  Even more perfect as she could use her without her able to do anything against her.

          Unfortunately, she was delayed.  She had to wait for the weather to improve in Boreas, which took her well into spring.  She would also not have an army, but whoever she could scrounge together.  She obviously needed a male for his mental powers which took longer than she anticipated.  By the time she was in a position to kidnap the girl, she was less than a week away of coming of age.  Add in the seemingly unrelenting interference of those ponies who came out of nowhere to be a constant thorn in her side, and fulfilling her destiny was coming down to the wire.

          However, despite the delays and inconveniences, it was now within her sights.  She dove for the island and landed on its rocky shore.  She shivered at the cold, ridiculous for being less than a week and a half from the summer solstice.  Of course the Valkyrie Queen would hide her greatest treasure in the far north.  It was one last stick in the eye to the southern-dwelling harpies.

          The others landed behind her, and Thanatos landed on her shoulder.  Frona shivered.  “That thing led us to a worthless lump of rock in the Frigid Sea, Glorious Alpha.”

          Alecta sneered.  “Bring the girl to me.”

          Bernice took hold of the girl from Gergo’s flying carpet and forced her to Alecta.  Gergo threw Alecta the locket.  She looked at the island around them.  Perhaps it was just a bit of paranoia after three days of them always being there at the wrong time, but she felt like this was too easy and ponies were lying in wait for them here.  “Gergo, scan the area.”

* * *

          The water was starting to reach Wind Whistler’s pasterns.  The ice cold water was stinging on her skin.

          “How long do we wait?” Gusty asked.

          “Until they’ve gone inside,” Wind Whistler answered.

          “The male is using telepresence,” Ribbon reported.  “Try to clear your minds and stay quiet.”

          They were all silent.  Shady watched something with her eyes from behind her sunglasses.  Following her eyes, she figured he was in the cave.  Then she swung her head out.

          “He’s gone,” Shady said, wiping her brow.

          Wind Whistler drew in a breath and puffed her cheeks out as she slowly exhaled it.

* * *

          Gergo closed his third eye and opened his normal eyes.  “I sense nothing.”

          Alecta looked to the sun sinking towards the horizon.  “Then let’s work quickly.”

          She shooed Thanatos off her shoulder and put the locket in the girl’s hand.  The girl resisted, but she forced her to point it towards the rock.

          “Why do you keep doing this?” the girl asked.

          “Silence, grounder,” Alecta snarled and held her hand forward.

          The locket burst open and the beam shot to the face of it.  Alecta pushed the girl forward, following the direction of the beam.  As they approached, the locket closed and a heart-shaped indent appeared in the rock.  She pressed the girl’s palm against the rock and the locket into the indent.

          Colorful light cut into the rock, creating a seam that shot up and split to form two rectangles in the rock.  They pulled back, revealing the metal behind the rock façade, and parted.  The slabs disappeared into slots with dull thuds Alecta could feel in her ribcage.  The opening behind it was dark with small cylinders in the ceiling providing paltry light.

          Alecta took the locket from the girl’s hand, but kept her in a tight hold by the shoulder.

          “Let’s go.”  Frona stepped through the threshold.

          “Wait, Beta,” Alecta said.  “There could still be defensive measures.”  She turned back to Desdemona.  “You go in first, Omega.”

          “Yes, Glorious Alpha.”  Desdemona stepped through the threshold.  As she stepped in deeper, the others cautiously followed.

          Bernice and Melinda were about to enter.  “Wait,” Alecta said before they could cross the threshold. 

          Alecta passed the girl to Frona and pointed to them.  “I want you two to stay out here and stand guard for interlopers.  Especially those of the four-hoofed variety.”  She looked at the shore.  He did not care what Gergo said he sensed.  “I believe those ponies have given up as much as I believe there’s only one moon.”

          She motioned to Frona to pull the girl into the hall.

* * *

          The water was lapping against Wind Whistler’s knees.  The Moochic had retreated onto Emmett’s back.  The cold was starting to spread up Wind Whistler’s body.

          “I say we go now before the water is up to our barrels,” Gusty stated, her teeth chattering.

          “I concur, but head for the closest cover on dry land,” Wind Whistler replied.

          They headed out of the cave into the ocean water.  The sea ponies disappeared below the waves while the rest headed for a large rock.  They stayed low, and Wind Whistler glanced at the two harpies standing to either side of the opening.  They seemed to not notice them as they used the terrain to conceal themselves as much as possible.

          Wind Whistler slipped behind the rock and peered around it at the guards.  She shook off the last of the cold water from her legs and flexed them to get blood pumping into them and warm them up.

          “I wonder why they didn’t close it behind them,” Lofty said.

          “Considering the open design of their stronghold,” Wind Whistler replied, “harpies might not like the idea of being enclosed.  Classic pegasus architecture features high ceilings and a large open design because it’s optimal for flight.  However, they left two guards we have to contend with.”

          “Let’s rush them,” Gusty growled.

          “If we go too early, the commotion could attract the attention of the others,” Wind Whistler said.

* * *

          The hall opened up into a large chamber with light shining up on a white dome to provide soft illumination.  Piles of treasure surrounded a massive statue of marble.  It was more than 15 meters tall and depicted a human woman in an ermine cloak and gown.  One hand held a gold sphere with a silver disk dividing it in half, and the other held a tall staff.  A gold crown sat on her head.

          Alecta knew exactly who it was meant to depict.  “The Valkyrie Queen.”  She pushed two harpies aside and spread her wings.  She flew up so she was level with the statue’s face and pointed at her.  “You thought you were clever.  You hid everything from our ancestors, your Bifröst and even your daughter.”  She clenched her talon into a fist.  “For so long, harpies forgot why they came here to this frigid malignancy of a landmass.  My prophesied destiny renewed their desire for the Bifröst, but that ember quickly faded as well.”

          She stared at the holes that served as the statue’s pupils and the neutral expression on its face.  She only hoped she was watching from whatever underworld her soul ended up in at this.  “Even I had times where I doubted the prophecy that I would finish what my namesake started.  Yet, here I am.  I have your descendant—” she held up the locket “—I have your key, and soon I will have the power you claimed came from your gods.”

          She looked down at the others rummaging through the piles of treasure, covering themselves in finery.  Gergo had hold of the girl while even Frona was staring at rings she had put around her fingers.

          Alecta landed a smacked the fistful of gold coins Chrystal had taken from her.  “We can plunder these trinkets later.  The Bifröst is what we came for.”

          “I don’t see anything but gold and gems, Glorious Alpha,” Frona said, stilling marveling at the rings.

          Alecta looked past the treasure, clearly placed here to sate any raiders who managed to penetrate this vault and keep them from further pursuing the true prize.  The opposite wall had a large pair of doors.  It was plain and unassuming, almost disappearing into the wall it was built into.  She walked up to it and noticed the heart-shaped indent in the center of them.

          Alecta motioned with her talon.  “Bring the girl over here.”

          Gergo pulled the girl to her.  Alecta put the locket in her hand and shoved it against the indent.  The doors parted and slid away, disappearing into the wall with thuds.  Beyond was a spiraling stairway leading down.

          “Omega,” Alecta said.

          Desdemona passed by her and walked down the stairs.  After she had cleared several steps, Alecta followed with the girl in her grasp.  Her heart was pounding in her chest.  She could just feel it.  Her destiny was just ahead of her.

* * *

          Wind Whistler glared at the two guards as she assessed the situation.  The open ground between them was too great to cross without them taking notice and either going on the attack and or heading in to warn the others.  However, they needed to act.

          She ran through the different abilities they had at their disposal and hit upon Moondancer.  “Moondancer, you said you can put things to sleep with your magic.  Could you do it to them from here?”

          “They’re not going anywhere, so I think so.”  Moondancer summoned a purple aura around her horn and two bulges came off it and formed glowing spheres.

          The spheres floated away from them and towards the harpies.  They veered away from each other to hover in front of their faces and popped.  The harpies faltered and eventually fell over into limp heaps.

          “Let’s go!”  Gusty galloped out from their cover.

          The followed her to the opening.  The two harpies were laying there, their chests slowly rising and falling and content expressions on their faces.

          “How long will they be asleep?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “Until winter,” Moondancer said casually.

          Wind Whistler looked at her wide-eyed.  Winter was six months away.

          “I’m kidding,” Moondancer stated.  “They’ll be out anywhere from few minutes to several hours.  It depends, so let’s get in their quick.”  Her horn illuminated as she dashed into the dark hall ahead.

* * *

          Alecta pulled the girl down the final step and into where the passage way opened up into another chamber.  Responding to their presence, the ceiling illuminated to light the area.  Columns lined the walls with Moons and suns in relief where they were the thickest.  The chamber was vast but empty except for an object in the exact center.

          A cloth covered it was a thick layer of dust over it.  Alecta pulled the cloth off, ignoring the cloud of dust it threw up even though it made the girl cough.  Underneath was a boxy object with various controls on top of it.

          Alecta looked at it and the columns.  “Just as I thought.  The tales of the Bifröst coming from the Borean gods were a lie to impress the people.  It’s in reality a relic of the legendary Ancients.  No magic or divine power, just one of the few pieces of their super science that has survived the ravages of time intact.”  She held the locket up.  “And their advanced technology trumps any silly parlor tricks your family put on this locket.”

          She pushed the girl away and placed the locket in an indent on the top of the machine.  The controls illuminated and a three-dimensional projection of the globe appeared in front of them.  Alecta stared at it wide-eyed.  The massive supercontinent of Pangaea as well as the smattering of islands scattered across the Great Ocean were all there.  They could all be reached by this piece of metal.

          Alecta wheezed a laugh.  “I’ve done it.”  She pushed the girl aside and threw her fists into the air.  “I’ve finally done it!”

          She reached into the pouch on her left side and pulled out her notebook on the old Borean language.  It had the list of their alphabet, numerals, and words that she figured would be important to using the Bifröst.  She glanced from it to the controls.  There were buttons to switch between latitude, longitude, and elevation, the three directions needed to pick a specific point of destination anywhere in the world.  Large buttons activated and deactivated it.  It seemed simple enough.

          Unfortunately, there seemed to be nothing suggesting it could connect to other worlds.  A shame, but Alecta could settle with the spoils of one planet.

          Other readouts appeared to be for power and other statistics more important to engineers.

          She looked at the large globe rotating in front of her.  “Where to first?”  She thought about it.  She could literally go anywhere now.  “Maybe to the audience chamber of the Supreme Alpha itself.  I want to see her face when I step out of the Bifröst right in front of her throne before I kick her off it.”

          “You want to overthrow the Supreme Alpha?!” Frona exclaimed.

          “Why not?” Alecta asked rhetorically.  “I now possess the greatest power on Tellus, making me the most powerful harpy.  Besides, it was her shortsightedness that almost doomed this expedition.  She is content with raiding and pillaging only what she sees before her.  Well, now my reach extends to every corner of the planet.”  She clenched her fist.  “It would be wrong to let the harpies settle for such a small existence under her for any longer.”

          The harpies looked to each other but said nothing.

          Alecta turned to the girl lying on the ground.  “However, we have one last loose end to tie up in these northern lands.”  She raised her talon and flexed them as the girl curled up in a trembling ball.  “Now is the time to end the direct bloodline of the Valkyrie Queens once and for all.”

          “Over our dead bodies!” a voice declared.

          Alecta looked up.  Several ponies stood at the opening along with a mushroom gnome, a large humanoid creature in armor, and she could swear one of the baby dragons they had ensnared the day before.  The white pony in the blue dress was there, meaning she had escaped whatever manner Gergo used to try to kill her.

          Alecta clenched her teeth and concentrated on the light blue pony with wings.  This was her doing, she knew it.  “I knew this was a trick.”  She took the locket from the indent.  The projection of the globe remained suspended in the air which was curious for a split second, but she pushed it out of mind.  “I don’t know how you hid from Gergo’s powers or got past my guards, but I guess it doesn’t matter.”  She presented her talons.  “You say ‘over your dead bodies’?  Well, I’ll be more than happy to oblige on _that_ condition.”

* * *

          Wind Whistler thought Gusty had made a very unfortunate choice in words, especially the inclusive pronoun.  She watched as the harpies strung their longbows and flexed their talons.  This was it.  As Twilight Mist had said, only one side was walking out of this chamber alive.

          She spread her wings and took to the air.  The ceiling was between six and seven meters above the floor, high enough for a pegasus to get airborne and fly above the reach of the harpies while too low for the harpies to build up the speed to maintain any kind of flight.  The ground was also level, so there was no way for them to jump into a sustained glide.  They were effectively grounded.

          The ponies spread through the chamber, surrounding the harpies on all sides as well as above.  Arrows were put on bowstrings, but many were interrupted by ponies bucking and tackling.  Fiery shot a fireball at one harpy knocking, lighting her lacquered longbow on fire and forcing her to toss it aside.

          One harpy got a shot off and struck Emmet in the chest.  He simply looked at the arrow embedded into his clay form and pulled it out.  She shot arrow after arrow into him as he approached, but he just slowly walked up to her looking like a over packed pincushion by the time he was close enough to throw a punch square into her face and throw her back several meters.  Wind Whistler grimaced at the punch connecting, feeling the force of the blow by proxy.

          The Moochic faced a harpy and tapped the ground with his finger.  She just looked at him with her brow knotted in a confused expression.

          “Wait for it,” the Moochic said.

          A narrow column shot out of the ground and hit the harpy in the chin, knocking her on her back.

          The Moochic grinned.  “I love doing that.”

          Bucks and body blows from the earth ponies were definitely getting to the harpies.  They were slower to get up and had a bit of limp.  However, several ponies went down under the glare of the male.

* * *

          Shady watched through her sunglasses as the red waves coming from the male harpy’s third eye slammed into the ponies writhing in agony.  Green waves came at them from a right angle and broke the red waves up.  Ribbon stepped forward, a brilliant aura of green energy surrounding her horn.

          The male turned to her, planting his feet to make a box with his shoulders.  Red tentacles spread from his eye and surrounded Ribbon.  She squared up her stance and formed a dome of green around her, deflecting them.  The tentacles reared back and threw themselves at the dome.  Shady could see the power behind them, and Ribbon flinched with every blow.

* * *

          Bow-Tie jumped over the swipe of a harpy and delivered her hoof to her midsection.  The harpy coughed and backed up several steps.

          Bow-Tie backed up to be with Moondancer.  “How about sending the rest of them to Dreamland?”

          “I need them to hold still long enough for the spell to take hold,” Moondancer said.  “We got the ones outside by surprise.”

          Two figures ran into the chamber from the stairway.  It was the harpies she had put to sleep.  They were faltering, probably not completely awake yet.

          “Glorious Alpha,” one of them huffed, “we think the ponies are—”

          They stopped and looked at the scene in front of them with their mouths hanging open.  “It looks like you already know that.”

          “Mental note: harpies are not all that susceptible to sleep magic,” Moondancer murmured.

          Bow-Tie looked to the harpies she had kicked.  She was holding her stomach, but still standing.  A kick like that would have put a full-sized male griffon in the hospital.  “I’m wondering what they _are_ susceptible to.”

* * *

          Shady watched as the male battered away at Ribbon’s defenses.  Her dome was starting to lose shape, and her knees were buckling.  Each hit brought her lower.

          An idea entered Shady’s head, one that a week ago she could never imagine even considering.  She remembered what Wind Whistler and Gusty had told her.  It was not about having no fear, it was about accepting fear.  She was afraid, but she knew what had to be done.

          Shady threw herself forward before she could think better of it.  She planted her hooves and vaulted into the male’s midsection, knocking him off balance.  The red tentacles instantly dissolved, his concentration being broken.

          Ribbon got to her feet.  She shot a beam straight at the male’s eye before he could get his feet under him.  It struck the eye, and he reared back.  He grabbed his eye and screeched.  As if struck blind, he staggered away, moaning.

          Shady turned to Ribbon.  “Are you all right?”

          “Yeah,” Ribbon said, rubbing her horn.  “Thanks for knocking off balance.”

          “I had to do something.”  Shady looked to the male stumbling away.  “What did you do to him?”

          “Ever stared directly into a camera’s flash?” Ribbon asked.

          “Once,” Shady answered.  “I saw spots for minutes.”

          “Well, multiply that by a hundred and that’s what I did to his third eye,” Ribbon said.  “He won’t be using any psychic abilities for several hours.”

          Shady looked at him fumbling around, still seeming to be blind to the world around him.  “I’m glad you’re on our side.”

* * *

          Wind Whistler flew over the scene with a few other pegasi, surveying the fight.  The male had been neutralized by Ribbon with some assistance from Shady.  They did not have to contend with his mental powers.  The harpies were looking like they were starting to feel the blows they were receiving.  However, hurting was a long way from being vanquished.

          She kicked a harpy looming over Sundance and Fizzy over and landed on her chest.  She could slam her hooves to her head until she crushed her skull.  However, she stopped for a moment.

          Wind Whistler felt something grab her by her neck and threw her against a nearby wall.  The blow forced her to exhale.  A powerful talon had her pinned to the hard wall by the neck and pushed down on her throat.

          She choked for air and struggled.  However, it was futile to try to get free.  She did kick the locket in the other talon away, but it was a hollow victory.

          She stared into the eyes of Alecta, bloodshot and seething with anger.  “Why?” Alecta got through her clenched teeth.  “Why do you constantly interfere with us?  You have no stake in this, so why do you plague me at every turn?”

          Wind Whistler swallowed and got down air as best she could.

* * *

          Sea Winkle stared at the opening in the rock.  She wondered what was happening in there to the land ponies and those ghastly bird creatures.  She only caught the sun disappearing below the horizon out of the corner of her eye.

* * *

          “Do you think the Boreans getting their hands on the Bifröst would be any better?” Alecta continued while Wind Whistler gasped for air and braced herself against her powerful arm.  “Who are _you_ to judge us as unworthy?”

          Wind Whistler looked at her, the leader of these harpies.  She was a terrifying sight, large with sharp teeth and sharp claws.  She was the perfect picture of everything ponies had feared from the first proto-ponies who galloped across the plains to escape predators.  However, Wind Whistler’s brain—which was begging for more oxygen as her vision was starting to close in—told her this was a sapient being like her.  She was a sapient being capable of making decisions and she had made hers.

          “Who are we to judge?” Wind Whistler managed to get out.  Alecta loosened her grip slightly, only enough for Wind Whistler to breathe.  “While the Boreans might abuse that device like you if given the chance, we have seen what you’re capable of.  We’ve seen your absolute contempt for the lives of others, and know what you would do should you have the power to travel instantly across this world.  When we came to this world, we knew absolutely nothing about it, and we still know very little.  However, I do know one thing for certain.  You are true evil, and we must stop you because it would be immoral to stand by and let you do what you wish because we are afraid of making a judgment.”

          Alecta lowered her brow and raised her free talon, flexing the fingers ending in sharp claws.  She tightened her grip on Wind Whistler’s neck again, choking her.  What looked like a rainbow wrapped itself around her arm holding Wind Whistler tightened as it pulled it away.  She released her grip and Wind Whistler fell to the ground.

          Wind Whistler coughed and gasped to get air flowing back into her lungs.  She looked up at Alecta and the brilliant rainbow circling her.  They both looked to the side where Megan stood, holding the locket up.  She glowered at Alecta, no doubt all the frustration with being captured and held coming out.

          “No,” Alecta hissed.

          Megan pointed.  “Leave her alone.”

          The rainbow curved around and struck Alecta in the gut, throwing her back so hard she skipped off the ground and slid a few meters before finally coming to a stop.

          Wind Whistler turned back to the girl.  She held up the locket and opened it so the rainbow could stream inside and closed it.  She held it to her chest and sighed.

          She ran to Wind Whistler and dropped to her knees to feel her throat.  Her face and clothing were dirty and she was pungent with body odor but, after being choked, her gentle embrace was welcoming.  “Are you all right?”

          “I do not believe she inflicted any significant injury to my trachea,” Wind Whistler answered.  She forced another cough.  “Thank you for your concern.”

          “I just couldn’t stand seeing a horse being hurt like that.”  Megan held up the locket.  “And somehow the rainbow knew what I wanted it to do.”

          “We had originally come to save you,” Wind Whistler said.  “However, I will gladly take this reversal of roles.”

          She looked at the fights raging across the chamber.  The harpies were still able to fight for the most part.  The ponies were beginning to give ground as they avoided slashes.  The harpies were just too big and too strong, and Wind Whistler just could not think of killing them even if it was within their power.  Even Alecta was getting back to her feet albeit slowly and wiping a dribble of bright red blood from the corner of her mouth.

          She then saw the projected globe coming from the device.  Now that it was unlocked, it was still functional.  The message Paradise translated also said it had some capability to form portals.  She smirked as an idea came to mind.  There was another way.

          “We need to get to that device,” Wind Whistler said.  “Hop on and hold on tight.”

          Megan got onto her back and wrapped her arms loosely around her neck.  Wind Whistler flew over a scuffle to the device.  She landed and looked at the controls in Old Borean.  “I wish Paradise had accompanied us.  She was the one who had been studying the old language.”

          “I can read it,” Megan said.  “My mother taught me how to read the old language.”

          A harpy vaulted towards them.  Wind Whistler gasped as she outstretched her talons, but he was blown to the side.  Gusty galloped to them.  “What are you doing?”

          “It might be the result of momentary oxygen deprivation,” Wind Whistler said, “but I believe we can use the very Bifröst the harpies covet to be rid of them.”

          Gusty blew another approaching harpy across the chamber.  “Awesome.  I’ll give you cover.”

          Wind Whistler looked at the controls.  They could literally send them anywhere.  “Maybe we can send them into outer space.  Set the elevation to five hundred kilometers.”

          Megan typed in a sequence of numbers, filling displays.  She hit the green button.  The blue numbers were replaced with red runes and the machine buzzed.

          “It says it’s invalid,” Megan said.

          “Apparently it has safety measures,” Wind Whistler replied.  “Pick some place over the open ocean.”  She surveyed the globe and assumed the castle was at the prime meridian since a particularly thick, vertical line went right through it along with a normal horizontal line.  “Try latitude zero and longitude positive one hundred fifty.”

          Megan typed in new coordinates.  The globe turned to show a side mostly dominated by ocean and a square appeared in front of it.  The square was blank, but a red message appeared.  The red messages again appeared on the machine with more buzzing.  Megan looked to Wind Whistler and shook her head.

          “Apparently it requires us to choose a coordinate on a land mass to lock on,” Wind Whistler murmured to herself.

          Gusty blew away another harpy.  “Can you step it up over there?”

          “If we can’t dump them over the ocean, maybe some island chain on the opposite side of the globe, so they can never get back,” Wind Whistler said.  “Set the longitude to one hundred eighty degrees.”

          Megan did and the globe showed them the opposite side of the world.  There were a few scattered archipelagoes in especially the tropic zone.  “Latitude fifteen degrees south.”

          “It doesn’t have anything for north or south,” Megan said.

          “Use the minus sign,” Wind Whistler said.

          Megan typed the minus sign and then one and five.  A box appeared and expanded to show a group of islands.  “Refine the coordinates to minus thirteen degrees two minutes and eighteen point three seconds of latitude and minus one hundred seventy-eight degrees fifty-seven minutes and thirty-eight point five seconds of longitude.”

          Megan typed the coordinates in.  A dot appeared on one of the smaller islands, and the elevation readout filled in with two meters.

          Wind Whistler wondered why they would even need the massive machine under the castle when this device could do the job with more precision.

          Megan hit the green button.  A message box appeared with an object that looked like a battery that had only a small amount of it filled.  That was why they needed the rest of the machine.

          “What’s the hold up?” Gusty asked.

          “We need a power source,” Wind Whistler answered.

          “We might have one.”  Megan put the locket in the indent.

          The message disappeared and a vortex appeared directly in front of them.  It was not as large as the vortex formed by the main body of the machine in its tunnel, but it was sufficient to send a harpy through.

          “All right, Gusty,” Wind Whistler shouted, “We’re ready.”

          “All right.”  Gusty smirked.  “Time to punch these harpies’ one-way ticket to their remote island getaway.”

          Wind Whistler could only roll her eyes.  “From what I’ve seen, she’s always like this.”

          “I heard that!”  Gusty blasted a harpy back and through the vortex.  “Okay, ponies and company, send the harpies through the portal!”

          “And make it quick since we don’t know how long we can keep this stable,” Wind Whistler added.

          Powder shot her magic at the ground, covering it in a smooth layer of ice.  Medley and Firefly kicked a harpy in the chest, sending her slipping across the ice and into the portal.

          “Make sure to get the male!” Ribbon shouted.

          “I’m on it.”  Gusty waited until he stumbled in front of the vortex and blew him through.

          “That’s three down,” Firefly declared.

          They quickly doubled that number with three harpies sent through by ponies tackling them into slides through the vortex.  Emmett threw a seventh through.

          Fiery spat fireballs at a harpy, forcing her to back up.  “You killed my mom and ate her for lunch,” Fiery growled.  “Let’s roast you and see who you like it.”

          The harpy backed up to the portal.  She looked at the portal and then to Fiery who was puffing out his chest as he got ready to spit another fireball.  She turned to the portal and dived into it.

          “And don’t ever come back!” Fiery shouted and shook his fist.  He suddenly jumped with a yelp and tried to keep her feet off the icy ground as much as possible.  “Dancing dragons, that’s cold!”

          Medley batted at Thanatos hovering over her and trying to claw her.  He backed up to avoid a swipe, but right where Gusty could blast him through the vortex.

          “We’re more than halfway there!” Gusty shouted.

          “But don’t forget the vortex is a two-way passage,” Wind Whistler said.  “Keep an eye out for any trying to get back.”

          The Moochic pulled a crooked walking stick out of his sleeve, though it looked like it should have been too long enough to fit in there.  He pointed it at a harpy and it quickly extended to slam her in the gut and send her staggering into the vortex.

          The walking stick retracted to a reasonable length.  “Maybe old Mr. Moochic still has it.”

          Nine down with six left.  Fizzy and Gusty made that five left as Fizzy sent a stream of bubbles into her eyes to stun her and Gusty blasted her with a gust to send her through the portal.

          “We’re two thirds of the way there,” Wind Whistler declared.

          Beeping came from the machine and a red light flashed next to a gauge with its needle in the yellow range.

          “It reads temperature,” Megan said.

          “Another reason it requires the larger equipment of the main body,” Wind Whistler replied.  “This component is too small to have the appropriate cooling systems.”

          Harpies eleven and twelve were sent through.  Wind Whistler leapt forward and tackled the Beta to send her through.  The blond harpy was the next to be sent through by a well placed kick from Sundance.  That meant just one remained: Alecta, the ‘Glorious Alpha’, herself.

          Alecta came up with her talon outstretched and unfettered fury in her eyes.  Wind Whistler turned to face her, not with fear, but with anger and frustration.  It was time to end this.  “I—” she smacked Alecta’s talon to the side with her front leg “—have had—” she delivered her hind hoof into her gut to knock the wind from her “—enough of you.”  Wind Whistler spun around slapped her wing across Alecta’s face, sending her staggering back to right in front of the portal.

          Wind Whistler flitted to the side and looked to Fizzy and Gusty.  “Now!”

          The two pointed their horns forward.  Fizzy created a swarm of bubbles Gusty sent forward in a vortex of wind.  They struck Alecta and scent her through the vortex.

* * *

          Alecta tumbled in the torrent of bubbles and wind through the tunnel of rainbow light.  It would have been a beautiful sight if she was not being blasted through it and tumbling out of control.

          She came out of the vortex and landed in soft sand.  She looked up at the others stunned and confused.  A couple of them were looking after Gergo who was still holding a talon to his barely opened third eye.  Her face throbbed and she wiped blood from her nostrils.

          She looked up at the sky.  It was night time, but there was a faint glow to sky in the east suggesting an approaching morning.  The rings were also a narrow band arcing almost directly overhead and displaced just north of the zenith.  They were on the other side of the planet.

          She looked back at the portal suspended in midair above the beach.  It started to collapse in on itself.  She jumped to her feet and ran to it.  However, it disappeared just as she got within reach.

          She collapsed to her hands and knees.  What about her destiny the oracle had prophesied?  She remembered the exact words of her fate.  She would take the Valkyrie Queen’s Bifröst, which she had even if it was for only a few precious seconds, and travel to a place no harpy had ever been before, which she had also done even though it was not by choice and ended up marooned there.  She picked up a fist of the fine, white sand and let it run between her claws.  This was her fate, not one of glory with the ultimate power at her command but of humiliation at the hooves of a bunch of diminutive herbivores.  Those ponies— _ponies_ —had _beaten_ her and with the very thing she had sought her entire life.

          She got to her feet and screeched at the strange stars in the sky, hoping whoever among the gods that decided this was what was meant for her heard her displeasure.

* * *

          Heart Throb watched the tunnel, wondering what was happening on that far off island.  The ponies had gone silent after Twilight Mist told them the harpies were approaching.  She could only imagine what happened after that.

          Despite all of Wind Whistler’s scheming, she doubted they would fare too well in a battle of power against those brutes.  Though, maybe, in their most dire moments when the jaws of defeat were sure to close around them, a squadron of gorgeous pegasus stallions with flowing manes and chiseled features swooped in and saved them.  They would then sweep the grateful mares off their hooves and speak sweet love to them.  Hopefully there were enough to spare one or three for her.

          “What are you thinking about over there?” Paradise asked with a raised eyebrow.

          Heart Throb suddenly realized she might have been a little too eager at the prospect.  She cleared her throat and regained her composure.  “I’m just eager to hear some news.”

          Paradise rolled her eyes.  “Right.”

          Her daydreams aside, Heart Throb was worried about those ponies.  She hovered and held her hooves together as she stared at the tunnel.

          A chime sounded.  “Twilight Mist here,” Twilight Mist said into the microphone.

          _“It’s done,”_ Skyflier said.  _“Bring us home.”_

          “As you wish,” Twilight Mist replied gleefully.  A tone Heart Throb thought would never come from the typically dour pony ever.

          The vortex filled the tunnel.  Heart Throb wished they had said more about how they fared, but she would see for herself presently.

          The ponies appeared and walked down the ramp exhausted but apparently unharmed.  A small, strange looking man dressed in green was a part of the stream of creatures as well as a massive humanoid carrying a dark box of some kind.  Six of the ponies were carrying sea ponies on their backs as well.

          They continued with Wind Whistler and Sundance bring up the rear along with a girl in a filthy blouse and overalls with disheveled, blond hair.  The vortex faded as they walked down the ramp.

          “Megan!”  Daniel ran past the ponies and up the ramp.  He grabbed her and spun around with her in his arms.

          “Dad!” the girl said.

          “My Megan,” Daniel said, tears welling up in his eyes.  “My sweet, sweet Megan.”

          Heart Throb wiped a tear from her eye.  “Oh, I just love happy endings.”

          She and Paradise landed among the ponies.  They were talking about their fight and what they did.  Paradise intermingled with them, wanting to hear all of it.

          Gusty grabbed Shady and rubbed her hoof deep into her mane.  “How you took down the male was awesome.  See what happens when you put your mind to it.”

          “Yeah,” Shady replied, trembling.  “Just don’t ask me to ever do anything like that again.”

          “We’ll probably face even bigger challenges.”  Gusty held Shady tighter.  “But they better watch out for Shady, am I right?”

          Shady only moaned in response.

          Danny and Molly joined Daniel with Megan as he carried her to the mouth of the tunnel.  They took turns hugging her even though she was a filthy thing.  Though, if her own sister had been kidnapped for five days, Heart Throb would not care what she had been through if she had a chance to embrace her once again.

          Daniel looked to Wind Whistler.  “You saved my daughter.  There were times I had my doubts”—he looked to her—“but you brought her back to me.”

          “We had given our word,” Wind Whistler replied, “we meant to keep it no matter what.”

          Daniel took Megan up in his arms again and held up the locket around Megan’s neck.  “And you got your mother’s locket back too.”  He stopped.  “Actually, it’s your locket now.  Happy birthday.”

          Wind Whistler flew out of the crowd and up to Twilight Mist as the humanoid creature brought the box up there.  It set the box down and Wind Whistler landed in front of it.  Curious, Heart Throb flew up to see what this was about.

          “What’s that?” Twilight Mist asked.

          “The device or the golem?” Wind Whistler asked in response.  “Because the device is the final component of the Bifröst.”  She looked at it.  “We can figure out how to reconnect them later.”  She rubbed her throat.  “I’ve had enough excitement for one evening.”

          The golem turned away from them and slowly walked down the stairs.  Heart Throb always loved the strong, silent type, but he was a little too silent.

          “Did it come down to killing the harpies?” Twilight Mist said once the golem was down on the ground floor.

          “You were right that only one side would walk out of that chamber alive,” Wind Whistler said.  “Though, one side being pushed through a vortex leading to the other side of the world is not exactly walking.”

          Twilight Mist smirked.  “You used the part of the Bifröst against them.  Clever.”

          “It looked like it was going to be a fight to a death for a moment.”  Wind Whistler sat down.  “I had a chance to inflict fatal injury on a harpy, but I hesitated.”  She rubbed her throat again.  “I almost paid for it with my _own_ life.”

          “You still came out of there with everything you wanted,” Majesty’s voice said.  “I would call that a good day.”

          They turned to her standing there.  Her knees were wobbling and her eyes were sagging, but she had a warm grin on her face.

          “Oh, Queen Majesty, what are you doing on your hooves?” Heart Throb asked.

          “You think I was going to stay in bed and miss this?” Majesty said.  “I just wanted to come down and congratulate you.”

          “How did you know we would succeed?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Majesty chuckled.  “Who said I did?  However, I knew you had it in you to do it.”

          “We actually needed some additional assistance,” Wind Whistler said.  “I don’t want to think what would have happened if we had not met Mr. Moochic and the sea ponies.”

          “We can’t do everything by ourselves,” Majesty replied.  “That is the real power of friendship and community.  We can create a whole that is greater than a sum of its parts.  You are intelligent, logical, and able to detach from your emotional biases.  Those are your greatest personal strengths.  However, their true power only comes out when you can contribute them to a group effort.”

          “I think I see that now,” Wind Whistler said.

          “There she is!”—Gusty appeared along with Fizzy and Shady climbed the stairs—“the mare of the hour.  I just wish could see the look on those harpies’ faces.  How you wing slapped their leader was just great.”

          “I always knew we could pull it off if we never gave up,” Fizzy said.

          “Yeah,” Shady added, though with a little quiver to her voice.  “Never doubted it for a second.”

          “Thanks, girls,” Wind Whistler replied.  Heart Throb stifled a giggle at the embarrassed expression crossing Wind Whistler’s face.  Reserved intellectuals could be so cute.

          They looked at the crowd on the ground floor.  The ponies were gathering around Megan, some keeping a token distance because of her ‘aroma’.  Others were perfectly willing to take a hug.

          Heart Throb felt more tears of joy forming in her eyes at the sight of this.  Yes, there was nothing like a happy ending.


	15. "We Are Here"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the harpies defeated and the Bifrost theirs, the ponies need to figure out what they are in this new world.

          Hera watched as the oracle walked down the carpet leading down the length of her long audience chamber.  Although males had mental powers for seeing the unseen in the present, the oracle of the harpies was always female.  The gods granted her with the power to see into the future.

          The current oracle was a young one, maybe a few years of prognostication behind her.  Unlike the black leather most harpies wore, she wore a flowing gown of white silk.  Her inexperience showed in her coming to Hera.  The oracle was meant to make her prognostications in her temple where the powers the gods gave her sight beyond the bounds of time.  She would have to use her fallible memory rather than her actual visions.  However, she would learn.

          The oracle came to the stairs leading up to Hera’s throne and bowed.  “Supreme Alpha, my predecessor’s visions of Alecta’s fate have to pass.”

          “She took the Bifröst?” Hera asked.  She was shocked to hear that madwoman actually succeeded.  Then she realized something.  “What happened afterward?”

          “That is not within her power,” the oracle answered, holding her head lower.

          Hera turned to her male, Chronis.  He had actually served many Supreme Alphas.  He was ancient, males living several times the length of females, and his mental powers were unsurpassed.  Nothing on this planet could escape his sight.  “Where is Alecta, Chronis?”

          Chronis opened his normal eyes, but barely.  “She and her followers have been marooned on an island on the other side of the planet by the very thing she sought.”  He closed his normal eyes again.

          Hera smirked.  She knew that one did not rush into a prophecy that never told the whole truth.  She looked at the harpies in her audience chamber.  “Let me tell you a story, my harpies.”

          They all stopped what they were doing and gave her their full attention.

          “Once, humans created wings made of wax so they could fly like us,” Hera explained.  “They flew through the air and took in the majesty of traveling the skies.  However, they looked up at the sun and believed it was made of gold.

          “They flew higher and higher to try to reach the sun.  They had grand plans of how to use the gold once they got their greedy hands on it.  However, the sun is not a mere lump of gold for the taking, but the chariot of the god Helios.  He was insulted by their arrogance and greed and used the heat of the very sun they coveted to melt their wings and send them crashing back down to earth.  Those who lived and all who bore from their bloodlines were forever cursed to never fly again.

          “Boreas and its fantastic legends are like the sun to harpies.  Alecta flew too close, and she has paid for her pride.  She believed she could force her destiny without knowing the true nature of it.  We will remain here in our warm homelands where there is plenty of treasure and resources for us.  Anyone else wish to object?”

          The audience chamber was silent.  “That’s what I thought,” Hera said.

* * *

          Get-It walked up to the massive door to the vault and pushed a button the panel next to it.  “You still alive in there?”

          _“I’m in here specifically to remain alive,”_ Wantall’s voice came from the speaker.  _“Heard anything from the harpies?”_

          “No,” Get-It answered.  “It’s been a day and half.  I think you’re safe.”

          The wheel of the door turned and the large slab of metal pushed out.  Wantall hopped onto the ground and looked around.  He grinned and stretched.

          “So, what now, boss?” Get-It asked.

          Wantall chuckled.  “I have some plans in the works.  Though, I’ll wait on the ponies and their castle.  Revenge is a dish best served cold, as they say.”

* * *

          Seashell trotted across the drawbridge to the shore of the inlet.  The inlet flared from the river and stream before proceeding down the fjord.  It was kind of hard to believe all of that water was now home to six little sea ponies.

          She tapped her hooves on the surface of the water.  It took several seconds, but the six sea ponies breached.

          “Shoo be doo, shoop, shoop be doo,” they sang.

          Sea Winkle covered her mouth with her fin as she yawned and stretched.  “Good morning.”

          “How are you doing?” Seashell asked.

          “We’re doing perfectly fine,” Sea Winkle answered.  “The water is a little brackish for our tastes and will take some getting used to.  However, it’s plenty salty a few meters down.”

          “Okay,” Seashell replied.  Sea life had always fascinated her, and she always wanted to meet she ponies.  However, if they were acclimating, she should give them time.  “How’s the fjord?”

          “It’s gorgeous down there,” Sealight answered.  “It’s nice and deep, crystal clear, and loaded with tasty water grasses.”  She licked her lips and rubbed her belly.  “It’s also the perfect temperature for it being almost summer.”

          “We’re thinking of exploring the main fjord too,” Sand Dollar added.  “Though, we’ll wait on it.”

          “That’s all good to hear,” Seashell said.  “If you need anything, just ask.”

          “Sure thing,” Sea Winkle said.

          “Shoo be doo, shoop, shoop be doo,” they sang and flipped back to disappear below the water.

* * *

          Wind Whistler turned the screwdriver to get the last screw out of the cover on the new piece of the Bifröst.  The panel came off to the sound of something winding down and the control at the top going dark.  She saw the various wires and tubes tucked inside neatly with connectors at their ends.

          Twilight Mist took off the panel of the main control panel causing it and the panes to go off as well.  There were slots with different shapes to accept the wires and tubes from the new component.

          “It looks there is a specific place for everything determined by size and shape,” Wind Whistler said.  “Equestrian electrical engineers could stand to learn much from these Ancients.”

          “Let’s just connect these things together.”  Twilight Mist used her mist hands to take two wires and plug them in.  Wind Whistler plugged in a wire that looked like a bunch of tiny wires in a line.  They made quick work of the connections, and the two pieces of the Bifrost were once again a single machine.

          They pushed the new component into the other until they clicked.  Wind Whistler looked up at the blank panes and the dark and control panel.  “I guess we just need the locket to reactivate it.”

          A chime sounded and the doors to the elevator opened.  Megan stepped out along with Sundance.  Megan ran her fingers smoothly with her long ponytail, her blond hair now clean and fine.  Her attire was a denim jumper over a white blouse with red hearts on it.  Sundance wore a denim cloak with a pocket and fringe made of the heart pattern material and held by a red ribbon tied in a bow around her neck.

          Sundance pranced up.  “Check it out.  We match.”

          “That’s very nice,” Twilight Mist said, not bothering to hide her disinterest.

          “You two look lovely,” Wind Whistler said, wanting to at least be polite and thought the look and coordination was aesthetically pleasing.

          Megan held out her skirt and looked at her outfit.  “Buttons did a great job.”  She tapped the toe of her shoe on the ground.  “She even made shoes and underwear in just one night.”

          “She used the leftover material to make a cloak for me,” Sundance said.  “We were thinking we could make matching outfits so we go together.”

          “Uh huh.”  Twilight Mist sat down in her chair and faced forward.  “We have everything hooked up, so if you could kindly use your locket to bring it back on line.”

          “Right.”  Megan took the locket from around her neck and placed it in the indent on the new part of the panel.  After a couple seconds, the panes came back on line with a latitude and longitude map in the main pane and the text in Common characters and words.  The labels of the controls morphed into Common and lit up again.

          The message pane also filled with messages labeled technical specs, formulas, and resource location.

          “It seems we have it all,” Wind Whistler said.

          “This is what my ancestors saw,” Megan said.  “I still can’t believe I’m descended from the Valkyrie Queens.”

          “Actually, there are almost certainly several lines that have descended from them over the last millennium,” Wind Whistler replied.  “However, you represent the line that has gone from eldest daughter to eldest daughter all the way through.”

          Megan picked up the locket and looked at it.  Her mouth bent down in a frown.  “I wish my mother was here.  She told me some things about the locket before she died, but I feel like there’s way too much I don’t know.”

          “I can relate to that feeling,” Wind Whistler said.  They were torn from their world and plopped down here with absolutely no knowledge of this place.  “Hopefully, with the harpies dealt with, you will not have to call upon its power as a weapon again.”

          Megan placed the locket around her neck.  “I certainly hope so.  It’s kind of scary to tell you the truth.”

          She stood, silent for several seconds.

          “Are you all right?” Sundance asked.

          Tears welled up in Megan’s eyes and she wiped them away.  “Sorry.  It’s just hard to believe I’m free of the harpies.  There were times I never thought I would get out of there alive.”

          Wind Whistler searched for words of comfort.  “Well, you did.  I know the saying is ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,’ but I’ve always found that to be an over simplification.  It’s not the evasion of death that makes you stronger.  It is what you do with your life from that point that can make you a better person.”

          Megan looked to her and grinned.

          “What?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “It’s just weird to hear awkward advice from a candy-colored pony with wings,” Megan said.

          “And it’s definitely awkward advice,” Twilight Mist added.

          Wind Whistler shot Twilight Mist a glance.

          Megan wrapped her arms around Wind Whistler.  Having cleaned up, her natural smell—quite pleasant—was what greeted Wind Whistler’s nostrils.  Her hair was soft and her body was warm.  Despite typically refraining from physical contact, Wind Whistler relaxed and accepted the embrace.

          “Thank you so much for saving me,” Megan said softly.

          “Your gratitude is unnecessary but gladly accepted,” Wind Whistler replied.

          Megan let go of her and looked to the map dominating the main pane.  All of the main landmasses were connected together in what Wind Whistler assumed was the ‘Pangaea’ she heard of a couple times.  There were also islands grouped together in archipelagoes like the one they had marooned the harpies on.  She realized few maps in Equestria showed much beyond its borders.  The fringes of other landmasses would appear on the edges and corners, but Equestria seemed to be all that mattered to pony cartographers.

          She remembered when they first stepped outside the castle and how huge just this fjord branch seemed.  Then there was traveling to the west to the next valley system where Megan’s family lived on their farm.  Now those distances, which seemed so huge, could be bridged in seconds.  Though, the ease of travel did not take away the sense of wonder to it all.  Life in this world seemed more vibrant and productive than that of Equestria.  She wondered what other creatures, sapient or otherwise, inhabited the supercontinent, the islands, or even the vast ocean surrounding them.

          “Are you ready to go?” a voice asked.

          They turned back to Daniel, Danny, Molly, Charlotte, and North Star among other ponies standing behind them.

          “We need to see what’s left of our home,” Daniel said.

          North Star trotted up to the panel.  “The coordinates are positive forty-five degrees fifteen minutes and thirty point six seconds of latitude and negative fifty-six minutes and two point nine seconds of longitude.”

          Twilight Mist formed hands of mist and tapped in the coordinates.  “It’s nice to be able to actually read these things even if I’m still getting use to Common runes and Draconian numerals.”

          Wind Whistler descended the stairs with the Williams family and Sundance.  The vortex filled the tunnel and they stepped through to the plain and right front of the farmhouse of the Williams’ ranch.  Everything seemed to be as it was the day they escaped the harpies.  The house was standing with the barn behind it.  The fences had no signs of damage.

          Daniel jogged up to the porch.  “It’s still standing!  I thought the harpies would have burned it to the ground out of spite.”

          He went to open the screen door, but it came off in his hand.  “They still did a bit of a number on it.”

          He walked back down and to the fence.  Polaris galloped over to stick her head across.  She whinnied and stamped her hooves.  “And you’re all here too, old friend.”

          Polaris nuzzled Daniel as he petted her snout.  “You made sure everyone stayed in line, right?”

          Polaris snorted in response.

          Daniel pattered her.  “That’s my girl.”

          She turned away and galloped out into the pasture again.  The other horses were standing or trotting, eating grass or drinking out of troughs they had to dip their heads deep into.

          Daniel planted his hands on his hips.  “Well, we seem to be better off than I thought we would be.  Replacing a few doors is better than replacing a whole house.”

          Megan sat down on the swing on the porch and sent it into motion.  It was the first time she could do that in days.  Sundance trotted up onto the porch and nuzzled her, and Megan hugged her in response.

          Daniel turned to Danny and Molly.  “Now that we’re back home, we have a few days of chores to catch up on.  Those water troughs are almost dry, and I suspect the weeds have had a field day since we left.”

          The two groaned and trudged to the barn.

          “If you have things sorted out here, I’ll be heading back with the ponies so I can reconnect with my band,” Charlotte said.  “May the trail ahead be straight and level, Little Brother.”

          Daniel tipped is had.  “For you too, Sis.”

* * *

          Majesty sat in her throne, an improvement from the last couple of days where she had to remain in bed outside of the few times she insisted on leaving.  Though, she still slumped, and she was visibly tired.

          Wind Whistler watched as the Moochic stepped forward and bowed in front of her, taking his hat in his hands.  “Greetings, Queen Majesty.  I am known as the Moochic.”

          “Welcome to Dream Valley and Pony Land, Mr. Moochic,” Majesty said.  “I heard you and your companion were instrumental in defeating the harpies and rescuing the Williams girl and the Bifröst.  I don’t know how we can repair you.”

          “There’s no need for that, you’re…majesty,” the Moochic replied.  “I was just a drifter who happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

          “I think everyone here can relate to that,” Majesty said.  “So, you have no place to call home?”

          The Moochic stood up and placed his hat on his head again.  “I left my village after a younger man took over as the resident earth mage.  Emmett and I have traveled Pangaea aimlessly ever since.”

          “If your feet are weary, we can give you a home here,” Majesty said.

          The Moochic chuckled.  “Thank you, but castles really aren’t my thing.  I’m a mushroom gnome, and we prefer places that are moist and decaying to make our homes.”

          Wind Whistler stepped forward.  “There is this area of swampy lowlands near the foot of the valley.  They’re certainly moist and filled with decaying plant material.”

          “Excellent thinking, Wind Whistler,” Majesty said.  She turned to the Moochic.  “Mr. Moochic, if you wish, you can have these wetlands as your home.  You will have to build your own house, of course.”

          The Moochic waved his hand in a dismissive matter.  “That’s no problem at all.”

          “Also, you would become a citizen of Pony Land with all of the privileges and responsibilities of that status,” Majesty continued.

          “As long as you don’t require me to walk on all fours and whinny, I think I can manage,” the Moochic replied.

          Majesty through back her head in a mighty laugh.  She was definitely feeling better.  “I like you, Mr. Moochic.  I look forward to talking with you when I’ve completely recovered my strength.”  She turned to Magic Star.  “Please take Mr. Moochic to his new property.”

          “Yes, Queen Majesty.”  Magic Star left her side and descended the stairs.

          The Moochic bowed and turned to walk away with Magic Star.  Emmett followed behind them and as they walked up to the balcony and out of sight.

          Wind Whistler noticed Spike cowering behind the rim of the fountain.  Majesty must have noticed him too as she said, “I can’t give an audience to someone who will not face me.”

          Spike slunk away from his cover along with his six brothers.  They came to stand in front of Majesty, but their wrung their claws.  Even Fiery, who seemed to run on rage and bravado, was making himself as small as possible with Majesty looking down at them.

          “What do you wish to say to me?” Majesty asked gently.

          Spike swallowed.  “Well, Queen Majesty, we lost our mother to the harpies.”

          “I am aware of that,” Majesty said.  “Now that the Bifröst is fully functional, we can take you to the homeland of the dragons.  Do you know your extended family?”

          “That’s just it, Queen Majesty,” Spike said.  “Our mother never took us to the Draconis.  She was a nomad who spent all the time we have been alive in the north.  We even slept through the winters up here rather than going south.”

          “What Spike is trying to say is we have no family we know of anymore,” Fiery interjected.  “We have no home.”

          Majesty heaved a heavy sigh.  “So, you wish to live here.”

          “If it’s not too much of a burden,” Spike added.

          “Our kingdom seems to be where those with no place find a home,” Majesty said.  “I supposed seven little dragons would fit in just fine.”  She looked to Spike specifically.  “In fact, I have been considering how any queen worth her crown should have a pageboy.  Would you want that position, young Spike?”

          Spike pointed at himself.  “Me?”

          Majesty looked around the ballroom.  “I don’t see anyone else named Spike here.”

          “I—I—” Spike choked.

          “Just say you accept and thank you,” Majesty instructed.

          “You accept and thank you,” Spike said hastily.  “I mean I thank and accept I.  I mean—”

          “Close enough,” Majesty said to stop his fumbling for words.  She turned to Galaxy.  “I think you can find things seven young dragons could help with.”

          “Of course, Queen Majesty.”  Galaxy descended the stairs and the dragons followed her to the balcony.

          Majesty slouched in the chair.  “I think that ties up just about all the loose ends.”

          “Aside from how we ended up here and how we can return to Equestria,” Wind Whistler pointed out.  “The machine shows no ability to link worlds and we were not instantly teleported home once the girl had been saved, so I guess my hypothesis of its link to our arrival and return has been proven false.”

          Majesty grinned.  “Yes.  There is that.  Though, after all that’s happened, do you really want to go back there?”

          “I can imagine you wouldn’t want to return, my queen,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “True, but not for the reason I believe you’re insinuating,” Majesty said.  “Even if I was the lowest of the low here, I would still prefer to be in this world.  Because I believe we can make a difference here.  Why would I give that up to go back to standing around and smiling in Princess Celestia’s court?”

          “You’re right, Queen Majesty,” Wind Whistler said.  She was not looking forward to going back to finding where she fit in Equestria.  There was so much to discover and learn in this world.  “So, what now?”

          “The question on the mind of every conquering hero,” Majesty said.  “You’ve traveled to the castle, vanquished the monster, and are bathed in the spoils of victory.  Where do you go from there?”  She sat up.  “What do you think, Wind Whistler?”

          “I don’t know,” Wind Whistler said.  She thought of that world map, all of which was now within their reach.  It was a little much to take in.  “Maybe we should carve out a little piece of Equestria here.  This hemisphere will reach its summer solstice in about a week.  Maybe we should have some ceremony like the Summer Sun Celebration.”

          Majesty nodded.  “Excellent thinking.  I should be fully recovered by then too.”  She leaned back.

* * *

          Fizzy soaked in the happy feelings around the castle.  Everyone was working on preparations for the Summer Solstice Celebration.  After the sense of dread when facing the harpies hung over their heads, preparing for a party was a terrific change of mood.  While ponies would be in their own little corners planning and scheming for the battle just over the horizon, they were now so at ease they could pause to say hello to each other.

          “Hello, Fizzy,” Paradise said as she passed by her.

          She exited the castle where Shady was sitting on the walkway.  She winked out and back in on the battlement next to Shady.  “Hey!”

          Shady turned to her with a start.  “Oh!  It’s just you, Fizzy.”

          “What are you doing?” Fizzy asked.

          “I was just thinking whether or not we should get umbrellas,” Shady said.  “Pegasi clear the skies before the Summer Sun Celebration back in Equestria, but we can’t do anything about the weather here.  What if it rains on the morning of the solstice?”

          Fizzy thought about that.  “You’re right.  Maybe we can get umbrellas that match our ribbon or coat colors and decorate them with our symbols.  That way we have personalized umbrellas for whenever it rains.”

          “I guess we could do that, but we wouldn’t see the sun rise even if it’s just cloudy,” Shady said.  She paused for a second.  “Maybe, since we can go anywhere, we could technically hold the celebration somewhere else.  Though, whoever has to run the Bifröst would be left out.”

          “And who says it’ll be rain or be cloudy?” Fizzy asked.  “And the fact the weather does its own thing is what makes living here so great.  Every morning is a surprise.”

          “Yeah!” Surprise shrieked in the distance.  “Surprise weather rocks!”

          “Maybe.”  Shady slowly formed a grin.  “You know, you’re right.  This is the world that refuses to be perfect.  It makes me feel better for not being perfect.  We should celebrate that.”

          “So, you’ll get the umbrellas?” Fizzy asked.

          Shady nodded.  “Next time they go out for a supply run.  Thanks for listening, Fizzy.”

          “What are friends for?” Fizzy asked.

          “Should we go for ribbon or coat color?” Shady asked.

          Fizzy stopped and thought.  She really wanted a pink umbrella, but a green one would look better with her symbol painted on it.  She noticed Gusty walking across the drawbridge.  Her symbol would not be visible on a purple umbrella at all.  “I would say coat color.”  That was the natural background of their symbols after all.

          “Okay,” Shady said.

          Fizzy winked out and winked back in on the ground near where Gusty had come to sit.  Gusty drew in a breath, puffing out her chest, and slowly exhaling it.  Fizzy slowly came up and sat down next to her.  She wanted to say something, but did not want to disturb her.

          “What do you want, Fizzy?” Gusty asked in a gentle tone.

          “I was just wondering what you were doing,” Fizzy answered.

          “I’m just taking a moment to cool down,” Gusty replied.  “After all the excitement, I need to let go of my aggressions and be at peace.”

          “Oh.”  Fizzy sat there.

          Gusty levitated an envelope with wax seal stamped with Majesty’s symbol in front of her.  “I also have an invitation to the Moochic.  Want to come?”

          Fizzy jumped to her hooves.  “Sure!”

* * *

          They traveled down the path along the inlet that took them across several steams and beside waterfalls spilling into it.  Dream Valley was an apt name for their new home because it was a like a dream.  The water was crystal clear and the plants were lush and green.  Fizzy realized she was thinking of this place as her home rather than the Crystal Empire.  She looked up at the rings between two peaks and thought of it being just a part of the sky for the rest of her life along with the two moons which had switched getting fatter and thinner.  She could deal with that.

          She looked to Gusty.  “What do you think of staying here?”

          Gusty was silent for a second.  “I couldn’t stand the idea at first.  I wanted to get back to my neighborhood.  However, having been here for a few days and literally faced death here, it feels like home.  Besides, you’re all okay in my book.”

          “Just okay?” Fizzy asked.

          Gusty grinned.  “Some of you are better.”

          The reached the edge of the swampy area and passed under a tunnel made by the thick, tangled branches of trees growing on either side of the path.  At the end of it was a wall of massive mushrooms.  The mushrooms sank into the ground to reveal a large clearing with mushrooms of every size and color scattered all over amongst the bushes and more of the tree-sized mushrooms forming a circle around them.

          “It looks like Mr. Moochic wasted no time making himself at home,” Fizzy said.

          The Moochic and Emmet were standing on the hill across the river from them.  Stakes formed a large square and the Moochic scratched an ‘X’ with his foot.  He seemed to be contemplating something regarding length.

          “I think I have this down.”  The Moochic stuck his finger in his mouth and pulled it out with a heavy layer of saliva on it.  “Yup, we should be good.”

          “Hey!  Mr. Moochic!” Gusty called out.  “Mail call!”

          “In a moment.”  The Moochic took off his coat and laid it neatly over the ‘X’.  He held his walking stick and with both hands and looked from his coat to the square formed by the stakes.  He hunched up and winkled his rump.  He swung up the stick and smacked the side pocket of his coat.

          A full-sized house appeared out of nowhere and landed right in the middle of the stakes.  “Ha, ha!”  The Moochic leaned on his walking stick.  “Right where I planned.”

          Fizzy stood there struck completely silent.  She literally had no idea let alone words to describe what she just saw.

          The Moochic turned back them.  “What?  You act like you never saw someone get their house out of their side pocket before.”

          He jogged up to the front door.  “It beats having to build a new one.”  He opened the door and peaked in.  He reared back and slammed the door shut.  “Though the interior is going to need a lot of work.”

          He walked away from the house.  “Still, I have my house and my mushrooms.  I know—I’ll call this place the Mushrump.”

          “Speaking of mush”—Gusty looked around at the giant mushrooms around them—“What’s with the humungous fungus among us?”

          “These came from my magic spores,” the Moochic said.  “They help protect me.  In fact, it’s perfect you came.”

          “It is?” Fizzy asked.

          “It’s the perfect chance to test my trusty mushrooms,” the Moochic answered.  “Attack me.”

          “What?” Fizzy asked at the same time as Gusty.

          “You heard me.”  The Moochic rolled up his sleeves.  “Hit me with some of that unicorn magic I saw you use on the harpies.  Don’t hold back either.  I want you to hit me with your best shot.”

          Gusty looked to Fizzy, but Fizzy could only shrug in response.  Gusty shrugged herself.  “All right, but you literally asked for it.”

          Gusty pointed her horn forward and an aura formed around it.  The aura spun up into a small tornado and shot towards the Moochic.  The tornado ripped in different directions and disappeared into the nearby mushrooms.

          “See,” the Moochic said.

          “I see it, but I don’t believe it.”  Gusty picked up her head.  “What happened?”

          “Within this area of mushrooms, any offensive magic directed at me will be absorbed by the caps,” the Moochic explained.  “Any mushroom gnome magician worth their salt has them.”

          The Moochic picked up his jacket and slipped his arms through his sleeves.  “Now, why did you really come where?”

          “Oh.”  Gusty levitated the envelope to him.  “We brought an invitation to our Summer Solstice Celebration.”

          The Moochic took the envelope.  “Some pony holiday?”

          “Yeah,” Fizzy answered.  “We stay up all night and watch the sun rise.”

          “Interesting,” the Moochic said.  “I didn’t realize you ponies were Sol worshippers.”

          “Sol?” Fizzy asked.

          “The Northern Goddess of the Sun,” the Moochic said.  “Unless you come from further south and worship their sun god, Helios.”

          “We don’t worship any sun god,” Fizzy said.  “Celestia was the Alacorn Princess of the Sun, and some considered her a demigod.  However, she could not think of her being actually worshipped.”

          “It might be a bit complicated to explain,” Gusty said.  “Just show up for food, fun, and staring at the sun.”

          The Moochic bowed.  “We’ll be happy to attend.”  He looked back at Emmett.  “Well, I will be at least.”

* * *

          The partying through the short night before the summer solstice came to an end as the eastern sky began to glow.  They filed out onto the grass in front of the castle next to the inlet.  The sea ponies breached and swam close to the shore.  The sky was clear, which was a relief.  Shady’s beautiful umbrellas could remain inside, waiting for a day when it would rain.

          The ponies, dragons, the Williams family, the Moochic, and Emmett sat and faced east.  The eastern horizon was getting brighter.

          Majesty walked around the crowd, looking tall and strong.  She once again looked distinguished.  Cheers and hoof stamping came as she stepped behind a podium and used her magic to levitate a stack of papers and straighten them.  She grinned and bowed her head.

          “Thank you, everyone,” Majesty said.  “Now, in Equestria, we would be waiting for Celestia to come up and raise the sun.  However, this world does the work for us.  Instead I finally have a speech to give.”

          Some quiet groans came from the crowd.

          Majesty held up her hooves.  “We still have several minutes before the sun rises.  Besides, it’s about how great all of you are.”

          The crowd went silent.

          Majesty cleared her throat.  “Back in Equestria, Princess Celestia is preparing to raise the sun for the longest day of the year.  It is a spectacle meant to celebrate her victory over Nightmare Moon, a battle embodying harmony overcoming greed and shortsightedness.

          “It’s ironic we faced a similar battle on this world.  We, a bunch of strangers, came together to stop a plot to take a great power in the name of death and destruction.  We didn’t have ancient superweapons or some destiny on our side.  We simply did what had to be done against staggering odds.”  Majesty grinned.  “Too bad we won’t get a stained glass pane in Canterlot castle for it.”

          Some chuckles came from the crowd.

          “We also did more than beat up on the local bully and save a captive,” Majesty continued.  “We not only formed a community amongst ourselves, but made allies in this world.  We made some enemies too, some of which we dealt with while others remain at large.  Within a week of waking up in this world—and being terrified by even a mere hailstorm—we have left our hoofprint on it.

          “There is a lot of mythos in Equestria surrounding the Elements of Harmony and the six ponies who bore them as well as the Pillars of Light who came before them.  However, I believe the virtues of honesty, kindness, levity, generosity, and loyalty in each of us, pony or otherwise, have just as much power as those trinkets.  We might not be able to shoot lasers from it, but we are able to do great things with our combined abilities and spurred on by our spirit.  That’s much better than relying certain chosen ones given special jewelry.

          “So, what now?  That is the question before us.  The Bifröst is ours, and wielding its power brings a great responsibility on us.  Not only must we make sure it never falls into the possession of the wicked, but we must use it for the cause of good.

          “With the Bifröst, this world is also completely open to us.  After finding the ponies from the Crystal Empire and the sea ponies, it’s safe to assume more ponies from Equestria are somewhere out there as well.  Perhaps they are forming communities like we are.  Perhaps they are alone and afraid.  Regardless, I have this message to them.  ‘You are not alone here.  We have created a home for all ponies who woke up to discover they have been taken from their families, homes, country, and world.  You are welcome here.’

          “I also have a message to those living in this world.  ‘We intend to live here in peace.  We swear to never instigate a conflict.  We wish to build friendships and alliances with any willing to meet us in good faith.’  To you, I ask you try your best to live up to that ideal.

          “Finally, I have this message to any who come to us seeking to cause us and those we call friends harm.  ‘We will not roll over and play dead.  We will fight you with every fiber of our being and every resource at our disposal.’  When we first arrived here—confused and afraid—we asked, ‘Where am I?’  We can now answer together, ‘We are here’.  We are here, and we’re not going anywhere!”

          As if on cue, the sun peaked over the horizon.  The ponies cheered and stamped their hooves.

* * *

          Discord sauntered along with Flutterbye along the all too familiar path leading up to the cottage that had been his home for more than a century.  Much like him, it had barely changed.  Though, the same could not be said for the area surrounding it.  The bird houses had been replaced with nectar feeders for humming birds and especially butterflies.  There were also large butterfly bushes surrounding it filled with massive, colorful blooms begging for anything with a proboscis.  The colorful little insects swarmed the property, fluttering about to whatever met their fancy.  Long gone were the birds, rodents, and other creatures Fluttershy surrounded herself with.  The current owner was all about butterflies, butterflies, butterflies.  However, the cottage itself was still a cozy home with a roof of thick grass with maybe more flowers.

          Flutterbye, on the other manipulative appendage, was a much different pony from her great, great, great grandmother both inside and out.  She was an extremely social pony, perhaps a little too social for even Discord’s taste.  She was also a more boldly colored pony with a bright orange coat and a rainbow mane that made him think more of Rainbow Dash whenever he saw her at first.

          She was the first to convince him to give in and go to watch Celestia’s annual ego trip.  He typically found some excuse, but after more than a hundred reasons to be somewhere else even he was running out of ideas.  Besides, a few seconds of watching Celestia do what she does every day only with more pomp and circumstance was not too terrible.  Flutterbye was also more than willing to head to his favorite club and make a real night of it for the lead up.

          He was really coming to like this latest overseer.  She had the time of her life dancing and chattering with their fellow clubbers.  Maybe five generations living around him was finally starting to rub off.

          They entered the cottage and Flutterbye yawned.  “I don’t know about you, Uncle Dizzy, but I’m bushed.  Wake me up in a week.”

          Discord did disdain that pet name she had for him.  He wanted to spin her around in retaliation, but the faintest sound reached his ear.  A pony would never hear it, but his ears could hear a fly land on cupcake ten kilometers away.  This sound was tapping of a certain typewriter.

          “Go on Flutter Five,” Discord called her his pet name for her.  He stretched.  “The Titan of Chaos really doesn’t need sleep.”

          He waved her to the upstairs and waited until the door closed.  He then slithered to a hole in the wall.  The hole was microscopic, only known to him.  He stretched himself into a string only as wide as a molecule to pass through into the room beyond which was actually a fold in space so the house did not even show it was there.

          It was a basic room with just a lamp coming down from the ceiling and shining on a typewriter on a table and a stool.  Discord assumed his normal shape again and sat down.

          The paper had one line on it.  <Are you there?>

          Discord intertwined his knuckles to crack them and typed out, <I’m here, old friend.  I assume you’re calling because you found my,> he stopped and tapped out <...> as he thought of the right word, <gifts.>

          The typewriter began typing by itself.  <I knew these ponies were your doing.>

          Discord typed, <They must have already caused quite a stir over there.>

          The typewriter immediately typed, <They sabotaged the harpies’ second campaign to take the Bifrost. Do have any idea how much work went into spoon feeding them the identity of the Valkyrie Queen’s descendent while making it look like they found it on their own?>

          <I would have to imagine quite a lot.>

          <The harpies having the Bifrost would mean they could suppress the other races of this world. It would have made controlling it much easier. Yet your infernal ponies come in and took it for themselves.>

          Discord typed, <You should just have to read that sentence and know why I couldn’t allow that.>

          The typewriter was silent for several seconds before typing, <I suppose you couldn’t.>

          <And it’s not like you rule that world from a throne on high. You stay in the shadows and pull the strings like a puppet master.>

          <The typewriter was again silent for a few seconds.  <You have me there. How many ponies did you send here?>

          Discord shrugged. <I honestly don’t know. A few dozen. A few hundred. A few thousand. I just let the spell do its thing. There are not too many, and they were misfits with a freak mutation and never really fit in here anyway.>

          <I’m surprised Celestia didn’t drop her sun on you for this.>

          Discord chuckled.  <I’ve been a good little boy for these past hundred years. Old Sun Rump never suspected me. The ponies think it was rogue group of old changelings or something and have already moved on.>

          <You play dangerous.>

          <That’s what makes it fun.>

          <I do have to admit these ponies are an interesting bunch. A few might make for fun playmates. A light blue Pegasus is quite intelligent and logical. I will enjoy challenging her to a battle of wits.>

          <I thought you would like her in particular. You know, she is a descendent of your old foe when you terrorized Southern Equestria in ancient times.>

          <Somnambula’s descendent? Well, that will make my games with her all the more amusing.>

          <You will have to let me know about all the juicy details.>

          <I will. Remember to destroy this message.>

          <I always do.>

          Discord pulled the paper out of the typewriter and put in a blank sheet.  He sat back and wadded up the paper to pop it in his mouth.  After chewing the paper for a while, he swallowed.  “Old Uncle ‘Dizzy’s’ still got it.”


End file.
